The Kilmarnock boss is in the frame to become the next manager of Hearts.
Kris Boyd reckons Derek McInnes could give Rangers and Celtic a headache as manager of Hearts, as the club look to land the Kilmarnock boss.
The Rugby Park are braced for Hearts officially moving for their gaffer on Monday after initial contact between the Premiership pair. Hearts are in the bottom six and finish the season away to Killie on Sunday, but host St Johnstone at Tynecastle midweek. McInnes appeared on Sky Sports as a pundit as Rangers thumped Aberdeen 4-0 on Sunday.
Ex Rangers and Kilmarnock striker Kris Boyd was the other pundit on duty. He believes that with evidence from time in Ayrshire and Aberdeen in hand, there is enough to suggest that McInnes could give both sides of Glasgow a run for their money if he lands the Tynecastle job.
What Derek McInnes has heard about next Hearts manager job
Boyd said: “You look at what he done with Aberdeen, and they were a club that were struggling as well. Hearts have had a disappointing season. It’s no disrespect to Kilmarnock, I have a great association with them, a fantastic club for me. But you are kind of getting to a stage now where Derek is ready to go back to that stage, a big club.
You look at Aberdeen, you look at Hibs, you look at Hearts, you want your big next three clubs. For me, Hearts are the third biggest in the country, you want them up there challenging and causing problems to Rangers and Celtic. The job Derek did at Aberdeen deserves to be back at that level. People forget, and it is easy because of what Derek has achieved in the past, what he has done at Kilmarnock is unbelievable as well. I think he deserves another crack at a big club to see if he can cause problems to our big two.
McInnes said: “I’m hearing that there may be contact between the clubs but there has been nothing official yet from my point of view. I think in everything, whether you are a player or a manager, once compensation is agreed and clubs can reach an agreement, then it is over to a player and a manager. But I need to stress, we are not at that stage.”
“I think having done this job a long time now, you take it with a pinch of salt. At times you are linked and sometimes you get used to it. A lot of times, you know you are linked and there is nothing in it.”
Kilmarnock dressing room on McInnes to Hearts
Meanwhile, the Hearts managerial target secured his current club’s safety with a win over Dundee at the weekend, with defender Robbie Deas insisting all focus was on that game and not boss noise. Deas said: “It’s all just speculation. Nothing has been said to the players and nothing has changed within the dressing room. Everything has been full focus for the game against Dundee.
It’s not been brought up because we had a job to keep this club in the Premiership, and it’s not been spoken about. I think that shows the boys we’ve got, they care about the club and put Kilmarnock first. Nothing’s changed and that showed in the way we were able to get the three points today. The manager has had his full focus on the games, and he told us we’re more than capable of winning what’s in front of us. We’ve now gone three for three in the games after the split.
“He set us a target and we’ve achieved that with two games left. It’s been a difficult season for the squad. Last season we set the standards, and not to reach that level was a sore one because it’s been more or less the same core of boys here. We’ve kept the club in the Premiership, which is a tough thing to do, and we need to take pleasure from that and keep the momentum going for the last two games.
