Who is Hearts target Wouter Vrancken?

Wouter Vrancken is a target to lead Hearts next season [AFP via Getty Images] Less than a week after Derek McInnes left for Rangers, Hearts are reportedly closing in on his replacement. Belgian Wouter Vrancken is the man who looks set to come in and try to replicate the Tynecastle club's incredible campaign from last season. The 47-year-old is fresh from his own remarkable year with Sint-Truiden in Belgium's Pro League as they finished third, their highest placing for 60 years. Now he keen to embark on a first venture outside of Belgium. So what would Hearts be getting? "A bit of a coup," according to Belgian football consultant and podcaster Scott Coyne. "He could have gone to France or Germany and I think he's picked Hearts because of the Champions League football, because of Edinburgh. "I think there's something about Hearts' success last season, he sees a template over the next two, three, four years potentially to go and do something really interesting." From relegation worry to title contenders For Hearts fans who were down about losing their captain and manager from last season's title-challenging group, Vrancken's CV will be morale-boosting. Having taken over Sint-Truiden, his hometown club, in April 2025 with a fight on his hands to keep them in the top-flight, he turned them into title contenders in one year. Despite a modest budget compared to Club Brugge, Anderlecht, and Tony Bloom-backed Union Saint-Gilloise, they entered the title play-off section with a chance of glory. Brugge went on to win the title, with Sint-Truiden well back in third by the end of the season. But they still qualified for the Europa League for the first time, defying expectations of, at best, a mid-table finish. Vrancken was a hero to the Sint-Truiden support, having also played for his local club for seven years. Sint-Truiden is owned by Japanese investors, and has been a base for players from Japan to enter European football. Latest Hearts news, views & analysis McInnes cited for 'disgusting' Celtic penalty remark Will Downing, who commentates on the Pro League for DAZN, says it is no surprise clubs across Europe have been looking at Vrancken. "Ultimately, they found the title play-offs tough going, playing the rest of the top six week after week," Downing said of Sint Truiden's title chase. "That was a bit of a hard run for them, but an absolutely brilliant squad. Quite a few of that squad playing in the World Cup right now. He absolutely built belief within them. "They were a joy to watch, [played] fabulous attacking football. We can see why definitely there were a lot of clubs who were looking to pick him up." Expect attacking football Throughout his coaching career, Vrancken has talked about his preference for attacking football. Sint-Truiden were third for goals scored last season in Belgium, ranked highly for chances created and shots on target. They averaged 55% of possession, behind only Club Brugge and Gent. However, they were also fourth for accurate long balls per match and scored the most set-piece goals in the league, so directness and physicality were also key. They did, though, concede more than one a goal per game on average and ranked seventh for clean sheets. "He likes really direct and fluid football," Coyne said. "So think quick transitions, lots of player rotations, an aggressive press, lots of overloads, fluidity in the wing play as well, so his wing-backs and his wingers are going to be out wide a lot. "He might give you some defensive headaches sometimes because he's one of those coaches who does like to go pretty gung-ho. So you will concede some goals playing in a Wouter Vrancken side but you'll also score a lot as well." From player, to salesman to manager After retiring at 31 due to injury Vrancken started coaching part-time in the fourth tier of Belgian football while holding down various jobs. He worked in a bank, sold insurance among other ventures, which Coyne says has given Vrancken a grounding which helps his management career. "He understands that there's a life outside football and that you have to appreciate that too and I think that rubs off on players," Coyne added. "He's excellent with sides on limited resources, getting sides to really punch above their weight because he creates this environment inside squads that is really tight-knit. And he's just really good at identifying bad apples." Vrancken's first major breakthrough came at Mechelen, who he got promoted to the top-flight while also winning the Belgian Cup, becoming only the second club to do so while playing outside the top tier. He established them as a top-half side before earning a move to Genk, a bigger club, who he took to the brink of the title in the 2022-23 season, losing out to Royal Antwerp on the final day when Toby Alderweireld scored in the dying moments. Just before the end of the following season he departed as the side fell away from the title race and joined Gent, but Vrancken only lasted six months there. "A lot of Gent fans felt the football was a bit more negative, a bit more thoughtful, overthinking, holding onto the ball a too much," Downing explained. "Genk fans for the second season, I think were beginning to feel the same way. "But when he's worked with clubs that are a little bit smaller and maybe not as much as expected of them, he's certainly gone hell for leather." Is move abroad natural next step? Having had his fair share of successes with clubs in his homeland, as well as a few relative failures, Vrancken clearly sees his future abroad. He speaks good English and his apparent willingness to choose Hearts over clubs in different leagues would be a statement. No appointment of a manager or head coach is sure to work, but Coyne believes this move would make sense for both Hearts and Vrancken. "He fits the way that Hearts want to play football and the way that they're looking to recruit players," Coyne explains. "He understands the Jamestown model as well because obviously he's coached against Union Saint-Gilloise with a number of clubs in Belgium over the past few years." Visit our Hearts page for all the latest news, analysis and fan views Get Hearts news notifications in the BBC Sport app