I’m humbled by all the support..my daughter says I should’ve had this scare when I was Scotland boss as I’ve never been so popular
Levein blown away by response to illness
CRAIG LEVEIN has revealed his daughter joked he should have suffered a heart scare during his ill-fated stint as Scotland manager – because he has never been so popular.
The Hearts boss has been inundated with messages of goodwill from across the world since being taken to hospital for urgent treatment at the end of last month.
Among those sending their best wishes was Hibs gaffer Neil Lennon who sent his dugout rival a text message to express support.
Levein spoke to the media yesterday for the first time since his health scare and was quick to lavish praise on the staff at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary’s coronary care unit.
But he was reluctant to dwell on the trauma and brought some levity to proceedings by suggesting it has done wonders for his public profile.
The Jambos boss said: “I’ve had a lot of well-wishers. Lenny was different class. I’ve had a lot of support from all over Scotland and abroad – and not just in football.
“I was lying in my bed last midweek after I got home from the hospital and my daughter [Christie] had been on social media.
“She said, ‘This is the best career move you have ever made – you should have done it when you were Scotland manager!’
“I don’t really want to go into the details but of course we got a fright. The paramedics and the people at the Royal Infirmary in the coronary care unit were fantastic.
“They fixed the problem almost as soon as it had reared its ugly head. I’ll be forever grateful for that.
“I feel good. I’ve had the cold the last couple of days, which does not help, but I’ve been feeling better and stronger each day.”
Even in Levein’s absence Hearts continued their 100 per cent start to the Premiership season, sweeping aside St Mirren in the last game before the international break.
Assistant Austin MacPhee held the fort for that 4-1 win at Tynecastle as doctors told Levein to switch off from football and relax.
But he ended up defying their orders to make sure he kept updated on events in Gorgie.
Levein smiled and said: “It was difficult last Saturday. The doctor had told me not to listen to the game so I went to my bed and read a book – I can’t remember which one.
“Then, at five past three, my missus [Carol] shouted up the stairs, ‘It’s 1-0.’
“So I went and got my iPad and watched the rest of the game. In fairness, she wouldn’t have shouted if it was 1-0 to St Mirren.”
The victory came as no surprise to Levein who had faith the show would go on without him.
The 53-year-old, who doubles as director of football at Hearts, has assembled a strong backroom staff in MacPhee, Jon Daly and Liam Fox.
And Levein said: “You normally have a manager, assistant manager and a first-team coach.
“We have myself, Austin, Jon and Foxy. They all have their own responsibility so if I’m not here then it runs the same.
“We have different people who have different responsibilities on a day-to-day basis. That has been something that has helped although, trust me, it was not a plan of any sort in case I ever got ill.
“I felt good about not being there because I wasn’t panicky or worried. I knew they would all just do what they do every other week. I’m the one who does the least, to be honest!”
Levein eased himself back into work on Monday by watching the Reserve Cup victory over Hibs and has been a presence on the training ground at Riccarton this week.
While he is still feeling the effects of a cold, Levein is confident he will be strong enough to take his place in the away dugout for tomorrow’s game against Motherwell.
When asked if he would be returning to the dugout, he said: “I’m very close to doing that.
“I decided this week that if I feel like I have enough energy then I will definitely be in the dugout.”
Jambos striker Steven Naismith heads to Fir Park on a high after firing Scotland to victory in their 2-0 win over Albania in the opening Nations League clash.
He has scored seven goals in his last eight games for the Jambos and Levein believes the 31-year-old is now back to his best form.
The Jambos gaffer said: “I love him to bits. Stevie epitomises all that’s good in a footballer.
“You wouldn’t meet a more humble person considering what he has done in football. Stevie, Aaron Hughes and Christophe Berra are really humble guys and approachable. They are willing to share their knowledge with everyone at the club.
“Having Stevie on board is a huge plus. He’s a fantastic guy.”
I’ve had lots of well-wishers and support – Neil Lennon was different class CRAIG LEVEIN