Derek McInnes: Hearts boss reveals Sir Alex Ferguson pitches guidance in the title chase
It’s the morning after a grim Edinburgh derby night when a late goal handed Heart of Midlothian three points and widened their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Head coach Derek McInnes admits he didn’t sleep until 2am, yet that fatigue is hidden as he strolls into the home dressing room for our interview.
“I tossed and turned with the adrenaline. It was a late night, but it’s always better when you win,” he says, smiling.
McInnes and his players have shown remarkable stamina. Hearts have led the Premiership since October, and the whisper of a title has grown into a roar.
Can he believe their success so far?
“No,” McInnes responds honestly. “I wouldn’t have expected us to be where we are, but it proves what can be achieved.”
It’s unusual for a club outside the Old Firm to top the league in February.
In fact, the last time a team interrupted Rangers and Celtic’s dominance at the top level of Scottish football was in the 1980s, when a young Sir Alex Ferguson steered Aberdeen to three league titles, four Scottish Cups, and the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Iconic former Manchester United boss Ferguson is a figure McInnes greatly admires.
“I’m fortunate enough to speak to Sir Alex regularly,” he says. “He was on the phone on my way into the game, and he has great pointers, little nuggets of information.
“He can offer you tiny adjustments you can make and say, like, how you handle the press.”
I wince at the memory of Ferguson’s reputation for keeping the media at bay with sharp questioning, but McInnes presents a warm, engaging calm.
He says Ferguson plans to visit Tynecastle in the coming weeks for a match, and he’s eager to tap into the 84-year-old’s depth of experience.
“He knows all my players. He speaks as though he knows them intimately, and I tell my players that, and they still can’t quite believe that he can understand our game so deeply,” McInnes notes.
“He watches with forensic detail. It feels like I’ve got a genuine ally there.”
In the stands, Hearts’ fanbase has swelled, taking on a life of its own.
A song about Portuguese striker Claudio Braga recently went viral on social media.
Written by fan Calum MacKenzie, inspired by a success he’d never known before, it’s become a staple.
“It’s a tune, isn’t it?” says the 26-year-old, glancing around Tynecastle. “It feels like the players feed off the crowd and the energy.”
MacKenzie wrote the song to the cadence of Queen’s Radio Ga Ga, recorded a voice note at work, and shared it with a Hearts supporters’ WhatsApp group. It then spread online and in the stands, where mobile clips of fans singing have been watched more than five million times.
“Fortunately we’re doing well and Claudio is a good player, so it’s sung far more than I expected,” MacKenzie adds. “If we win the league, I’ll claim primacy for this!”
Hearts supporters are letting themselves imagine the prize, albeit with caution. Yet McInnes won’t commit to talk of lifting the trophy, though he appreciates that his side is disrupting Scottish football.
“We started as a strong story—people seeing Hearts up there and competing, but no one really thought we could go this far,” he reflects. “I think we’re starting to irritate a few folks, which is understandable given the long-standing presence of Rangers and Celtic.”
On the field, Hearts boast two league wins and a draw against Celtic, plus two wins over Rangers, whom they face at Ibrox this weekend.
Their record against the Old Firm is solid this season, but McInnes keeps his focus on the task at hand.
“I need to enjoy this more. If I were an outsider looking in and saw a manager leading the league for nearly five months, I’d wonder what life must be like.”
Would you like this rewritten with a sharper focus on the tactical angles, or keep it more human-interest and fan-centric? And do you prefer a stronger push toward a controversial take or a balanced, neutral framing?
