Vrancken recalls humble managerial beginnings

[SNS] Hearts head coach Wouter Vrancken says visiting the Falkirk Stadium, with its three stands and artificial surface, will not faze him on Tuesday because he has managed in a variety of surroundings in the lowest ranks of Belgian football. The 47-year-old played at the top level as a midfielder with local side Sint-Truiden as well as Gent, Genk, Mechelen and Kortrijk. "When I stopped playing football, it was about injuries," he recalled. "I had arthritis in my hips and I had to have an operation. "I had to stop there and I did, let's say, normal jobs - I didn't want to do nothing. I worked in insurance, I worked for a sports brand as a salesman on the road and the last job I had was also in coaching - in companies who need team leaders, positions like this. "You learn how to manage a team and it is a little I use now." Vrancken had not planned on football management until taking part-time roles in the fourth division at Gravelo and Overpelt, while working in accountancy, then had spells in charge of Thes and Lommel before a year back in the top flight as assistant to Glen De Boeck at Kortrijk for the 2017–18 season. "I started when a friend asked me at the lowest level in Belgium," he explained. "They hadn't had a promotion yet in their history and we were two-times champion in a row. "And then another team in my region came to us, a little bit higher, and we did two promotions in two years with them and I was at the edge of professional football." Vrancken's managerial career really took off when he steered Mechelen back to the Belgian Pro League at the first attempt and won the Belgian Cup in the same season - the first club to complete such a double. He would go on to lead Genk to a runners-up spot and Sint-Truiden to third place. Now, after a four-game losing start, he has Hearts on a nine-game unbeaten run. "Sometimes it goes really fast and not like you expected," Vrancken said of his growing reputation. "It is nice that it goes because of results and not by your name, because you are an ex-pro footballer."