Former Champions League winner claims he made it down to final three for Hearts job

Former Porto and Blackburn Rovers striker Benni McCarthy has claimed he made it down to the final three for the vacant manager’s post at Hearts.

The Tynecastle club appointed former Barnsley manager Daniel Stendel as Craig Levein’s successor last Saturday but McCarthy has said that he was also interviewed.

The South African’s first managerial post ended just last month following a run of two wins in 18 games with Cape Town City.

Speaking to Soccer Laduma, McCarthy, who won the Champions League with Porto in 2004, said: “It was brilliant. I’m an ambitious person and I want to take that into my coaching.

“Hearts are a big club and I figured that I would only get an opportunity if I put my own name into the hat, I have to be proactive about things.

“For me to get into the final three for the job when there were some major names who sent in their CVs alongside mine was a big thing for me, and I’ll take a lot of lessons from the conversations that we had.

“I’ll keep looking for opportunities, not just here in Europe but all over, and I’m excited about what lies ahead wherever my next step is.”

McCarthy, who has a family home in the capital with Scottish model wife Stacey Munro, has previously spent time on the coaching staff at Hibs under then head coach Alan Stubbs.