New Hearts head coach Wouter Vrancken has outlined his ambitions after arriving at Tynecastle, insisting his side must aim to challenge Celtic and Rangers at the top of Scottish football.

The 47-year-old Belgian has signed a two-year contract with Hearts, replacing Derek McInnes after his move to Rangers earlier this month.

Vrancken arrives in Edinburgh following an impressive spell with Belgian side Sint-Truiden, where he guided his hometown club to third place in the Belgian Pro League last season – their highest league finish in 60 years. His achievements earned him Belgium’s Coach of the Year award.

The new Hearts boss now takes over a side that narrowly missed out on ending a 66-year wait for the Scottish Premiership title after suffering a final-day defeat to champions Celtic.

Speaking for the first time since his appointment, Vrancken made it clear what his objectives are.

“[The remit] is to compete with the Glasgow teams and to try to overachieve again and have a good season, try to fight for the top spots.”

He believes Hearts have already shown they can compete with Scotland’s traditional powerhouses.

“We will fight for the best. They had a smell of the title last year, that’s the nicest thing to play for.”

“Everybody wants to play for those spots and we have to try out best to get to the level and get the Hearts I want to see.”

“First being as good as possible at this, then we can have another great season.”

Hearts Land Highly-Rated Belgian Coach

Hearts revealed that Vrancken was attracting interest from several clubs across Europe before choosing the move to Tynecastle, making this his first managerial role outside Belgium.

Belgian football consultant and podcaster Scott Coyne believes Hearts have secured one of the continent’s most exciting coaches.

“He could have gone to France or Germany and I think he’s picked Hearts because of the Champions League football, because of Edinburgh.”

Coyne believes Hearts’ progress last season also played a major role in attracting Vrancken.

“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.”

What Style of Football Can Hearts Fans Expect?

Supporters can expect an attacking, high-energy approach under their new manager.

Coyne described Vrancken’s philosophy as one built around aggressive pressing, quick transitions and fluid attacking play.

“He likes really direct and fluid football. 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.”

However, he warned that Vrancken’s adventurous tactics can leave teams exposed defensively.

“He might give you 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.”

Coyne also praised Vrancken’s ability to maximise limited resources.

“He’s excellent with sides on limited resources, getting them 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.”

He added that the Belgian is an ideal fit for Hearts’ long-term strategy.

“He fits the way Hearts want to play football and the way they’re looking to recruit players.”

“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.”

A Manager on the Rise

After beginning his playing career with Sint-Truiden, Vrancken went on to represent Gent, Genk and Mechelen before moving into management.

His coaching breakthrough came at Mechelen, where he guided the club to promotion and Belgian Cup success in the same season before delivering three consecutive top-eight league finishes.

At Genk, he came agonisingly close to winning the Belgian title during a dramatic three-way battle with Royal Antwerp and Union Saint-Gilloise in 2022.

Following a spell at Gent, Vrancken returned to Sint-Truiden in April last year, initially steering the club away from relegation before transforming them into genuine title challengers.

His side eventually secured third place and qualified for the Europa League for the first time in the club’s history.

Big Rebuild Awaits at Tynecastle

Vrancken inherits a Hearts squad undergoing significant change.

Captain and Scotland striker Lawrence Shankland has already departed for Rangers, joining former Hearts boss Derek McInnes at Ibrox.

Midfielder Beni Beningime has left following the expiry of his contract, while Cammy Devlin has yet to decide on a new deal. Questions also remain over the future of veteran Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

Defenders Michael Steinwender and Frankie Kent have also moved on, while Craig Halkett faces a spell on the sidelines through injury.

Reports have also linked reigning Scottish Player of the Year Claudio Braga and winger Alexandros Kyziridis with potential transfers away from the club.

The departures are part of Hearts’ ongoing recruitment model alongside Jamestown Analytics, which focuses on identifying emerging talent, developing players and generating profit through future sales.

To strengthen the squad, Hearts have already completed seven signings this summer. Among them are Scottish-based wingers Calvin Miller, who joins from Falkirk, and Josh McPake from St Johnstone.

With Champions League qualifying fixtures also on the horizon, Vrancken has little time to mould his new-look squad as Hearts look to build on last season’s remarkable title challenge.