Scottish Premier League side Hearts are reportedly ready to offer George Burley the manager's job at Tynecastle. However, they have failed in an attempt to bring Sir Bobby Robson in as director of football.

Burley resigned from Derby yesterday and was immediately linked with the vacant jobs at Millwall and Hearts, with the Edinburgh club already showing serious interest, according to reports north of the border.

Robson, 72, held talks with Jambos chief executive Phil Anderton last week but, says a Hearts source, decided against joining them: "Sir Bobby Robson considered our offer long and hard. He still lives in the North-East of England and travelling an hour-and-a-half in the train up to Edinburgh would have meant he wouldn't have to uproot his family or disrupt his plans.

"Phil had a series of meetings with him last week and Bobby was impressed with the plans [biggest shareholder] Vladimir [Romanov] has for Hearts and the money he would put in for players. In the end, though, he cited personal reasons as why he could not take over and after a lifetime in football we respect his decision."

Another Town legend, Terry Butcher, is also reported to be a potential Hearts target. Butcher has impressed as manager of Motherwell and recently signed a new contract at Fir Park which may rule out a switch to the Scottish capital.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls