There has been much said about Ian Cathro being appointed by Hearts this week.

To be honest, given the fantastic job Ann Budge and Craig Levein have done in their time at Tynecastle, and given how far they have come as a club on and off the field, I wouldn’t think too many Hearts fans will be overly concerned by the appointment.

Cathro’s name is probably better known than he is in football circles, but he ticks all of the boxes for the Hearts system. And it is, after all, their call.

He might be young, but I don’t really have a problem with that. Ally MacLeod gave me my first chance in football management, as his assistant, when I retired from playing when I was about 30. I will always be grateful for that opportunity.

By the time I was 33, after Ally had moved on, I was manager at Motherwell.

Being a manager that young wasn’t that common back then. One thing it did mean was that I still looked quite good for the team photo!

It was a great opening for me, and one I really wanted to make the most of.

Ian Cathro will be thinking and hoping the same, and I do hope he gets both the time and patience to see it through.