No snub to SFA, says MacPhee

Austin MacPhee insists he has not snubbed the Scottish Football Association after accepting the Tynecastle assistant’s post.

The Northern Ireland coach was one of the leading contenders to land the SFA’s performance director role after being interviewed by Hampden chiefs last month.

Had he successfully followed through with his bid, he would have been responsible for drawing up the system which would have reared the next generation of Scotland internationalists.

But he has instead decided to join Ian Cathro’s new-look management team in Gorgie.

That leaves the door open for former Cardiff manager Malky MacKay to take over the post which has sat vacant since Brian McClair quit in July.

But 37-year-old Fifer MacPhee – who, like Cathro has no senior playing experience – says only the lure of day-to-day involvement with a first-team swayed him away from pursuing the crucial Hampden position.

The former Cowdenbeath and St Mirren coach – who will carry on with his part-time duties assisting Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill while working at Hearts – said: “It’s nothing to do with (choosing between) the SFA and Hearts.

“It’s two different career paths,” he added.

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