Hearts set the pulse racing for MacPhee

Our ambitions are very high. This is a journey I didn’t want to miss out on

COVETED by the SFA, secured by Hearts. In the end, Austin MacPhee felt the opportunity available at Tynecastle was simply too exciting to turn down.

MacPhee was among the leading contenders to succeed Brian McClair as performance director at Hampden, where he would have been charged with delivering the Project Brave strategy for youth development.

However, after impressing in interviews, he backed away from that possibility — leaving Malky Mackay as the frontrunner — when Hearts sought to appoint him as assistant to Ian Cathro.

That move was confirmed yesterday, with MacPhee going on to explain his rationale. He sees huge potential at Tynecastle and, crucially, will be able to maintain his role as No2 to Michael O’Neill at Northern Ireland.

‘The size of the job of technical or performance director for a federation is a very, very long-term project,’ said the 37-year-old.

‘My ideas for it were long-term as well. Short-term, one of the roles is to deliver Project Brave, which has been well-documented.

‘I felt that the combination of being allowed to stay with Northern Ireland and work for someone who I really respect in Ian was one that took me to the path I find more exciting.

‘I was at Tynecastle last week for the Rangers game. You see the direction Hearts are going.

‘I feel we can achieve things that maybe other people don’t think we can achieve. Always having ambitions that are maybe just a little bit further than you can reach is important.

‘This whole club has that, whether it is Ann (Budge), Craig (Levein) or certainly Ian.

‘I just felt it was a journey I didn’t want to miss out on. Also, with Northern Ireland, I felt a great loyalty to Michael O’Neill. He has given me the opportunity to be acceptable in football, although I’ve still not cut my hair!

‘He’s given me a lot of support, guidance and opportunities. And we are currently second in our group.

‘There are targets at Hearts — which I know Ian and I have — and there is a target at Northern Ireland, which is qualifying for the World Cup. It would be a lot to miss out on as a young coach.’

Once on the books of Forfar, MacPhee spent time playing in America, Romania and Japan. He was also part of Danny Lennon’s backroom staff at Cowdenbeath and St Mirren, squeezing in a spell scouting for the Mexican national side before hooking up with O’Neill.

He was keen for this latest step in a well-travelled career not to seem like a snub to the SFA, adding: ‘It’s nothing to do with (choosing between) the SFA and Hearts. It’s two different paths.

‘One takes you down the technical director route, the other takes you right into the game and coaching, where I am with Northern Ireland.

‘So whether it was the Icelandic FA, the Scottish FA, the Spanish FA or Hearts, Chelsea or whoever else it might be, it was a choice of career path and not of one (employer) over the other.

‘I can only thank the SFA for their patience in me, their exchanging ideas with me.

‘Whoever takes over the performance director role has a very exciting job and things like Project Brave will help take Scottish football forward.

‘If I had two of me, I would do both jobs but, in life, you have to make choices — and I’m absolutely convinced I’ve made the right choice.’