Wouter Vrancken appointed Hearts head coach on two-year deal

Wouter Vrancken has been appointed the new head coach of Hearts on a two-year deal.

It comes just over a week after Derek McInnes left the club to join league rivals Rangers.

Vrancken takes the reins after Hearts second place finish in the Scottish Premiership last season, losing the league on the final day to Celtic.

The 47-year-old left Sint-Truiden this summer after leading them to third place in the Belgian Pro League, and has previously managed Gent, Genk and Mechelen.

The Belgian’s first high-profile role was as manager of Mechelen in 2018, where he led the side back into the Pro League with a second-tier title triumph and won the Belgian Cup.

His playing career has seen him play at Sint Truiden, Racing Genk and Gent.

An impressive season with Sint-Truiden last year, in which he guided them to third place and European qualification, saw him named Belgian Coach of the Year.