STUART McCALL has emerged as a credible contender for the Hearts head coach position.
It is understood the former Rangers and Motherwell manager was interviewed by the capital club at an Edinburgh hotel earlier this week.
McCall, 55, has been out of work since departing Scunthorpe in March. He has also had two spells at the helm of Bradford City.
McCall’s most successful period in the dugout came at Fir Park, where he guided Motherwell to successive second-place finishes in the top-flight, qualified for the preliminary rounds of the Champions League and reached the 2011 Scottish Cup final.
He was, however, unable to win promotion from the Championship with the Gers during his three months in charge of the Light Blues in 2015.
His long-time assistant Kenny Black is a Tynecastle legend, having made more than 200 appearances in five years there as a player.
Steve Cotterill has also been interviewed in recent days.
Despite Hearts owner Ann Budge claiming that compensation is no barrier to an appointment, Hearts would rather secure a boss currently out of work.
To that end, Neil McCann, Dougie Freedman, Neil Warnock, Felix Magath and current interim head coach Austin MacPhee are others being considered.
Budge plans on speaking to several other candidates during the international break before whittling down the options, with no appointment imminent.
