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The pair helped break a narrative around Tottenham but that hasn’t been enough to save jobs.

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A former Hibs pair have left Tottenham Hotspur after Ange Postecoglou’s sacking.

Nick Montgomery became an assistant coach at Spurs after being sacked as Hibs head coach in 2024. His assistant, Sergio Raimundo, came with him, Australian boss Postecoglou in the know having watched Montgomery’s progress in the A League with Central Coast Mariners. There was much debate on Postecoglou’s Tottenham position as he won the Europa League, their first piece of silverware in 17 years amid a trophyless narrative, married with finishing 17th in the Premier League.

Spurs have now axed the ex Celtic boss to the anger of large sections of their fanbase. The Telegraph now state that Montgomery, Raimundo and former Australia national team star Mile Jedinak also pay the price for Postecoglou’s exit.

Former Hibs pair exit Tottenham Hotspur

A statement reads: “Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the Club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties. Ange joined us from Celtic in the summer of 2023 and oversaw a period of change on the pitch, returning us to the attacking brand of football that has traditionally been associated with the Club, while writing a new chapter in our history by leading us to UEFA Europa League glory in Bilbao last month - an achievement that will live with us all forever.

“We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the Club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw. However, the Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season. At times there were extenuating circumstances - injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the Club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph.

“It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision. We have a talented, young squad and Ange has given us a great platform to build upon. We should like to express our gratitude to him. We wish him well for the future - he will always be welcome back at our home.”

Ange Postecoglou reaction to Tottenham sacking

Postecoglou said: “When I reflect on my time as manager of Tottenham Hotspur my overriding emotion is one of pride. The opportunity to lead one of England's historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime.

"Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget. That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream. There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible.

“We have also laid foundations that mean this club should not have to wait seven more years for their next success. I have enormous faith in this group of players and know there is much more potential and growth in them."

The veteran goalkeeper’s pursuit of records goes on

Craig Gordon became Hearts’ record European appearance holder in Plzen last week. His outing against Viktoria in the Europa League play-off first leg was his 23rd for the club in continental competition. He is 41 years old but the goalkeeper’s thirst for more records is apparently unquenchable. He is already looking at the next target on the horizon.

Gordon is 13 games from 300 competitive Hearts appearances and fully intends reaching that mark before Christmas. He seems to be ahead of Zander Clark in the pecking order for now. Progress to the Europa League’s new-look league phase could help him get to the next landmark quicker as the competition now has two more matches than the Conference League.

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Whoever loses out at Tynecastle Park on Thursday night drops into UEFA’s third competition. Gordon is desperate to go through in what would be an unprecedented achievement for a club he has served with distinction over two spells. Among the clubs Hearts could encounter in this season’s Europa are Manchester United, Roma, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Eintracht Frankfurt, Porto, Real Sociedad, Lyon and Fenerbahce.

“The next one will be 300 appearances,” he said without hesitation when asked about the European appearance record. “I don't know how far away I am from that but I'm away to look it up. Less than 20, I would think.” Should Hearts’ European adventures continue over the coming years, it may be possible for someone to beat his tally.

“Yes, absolutely. I was just talking about that very thing, that if we do continue to progress then there is no reason that somebody couldn't get there fairly quickly. At the moment a record might not last too long, you never know in football but hopefully that is a sign of things to come and there are many players coming up with the aspirations to get to that and beyond. This season we've got a chance hopefully to knock that up a wee bit further. That would be the idea - to make it a bit more of a target for some of these guys to chase.”

Even in the twilight of a glittering playing career at club and international level, Gordon was still inspired when chosen as Hearts’ goalkeeper for what became a 1-0 defeat in Czechia last Thursday. He fought back courageously from a double leg break suffered in December 2022 and admitted a driving force throughout the rehabilitation process was getting that European appearance record.

“That was definitely something I thought about when I was in the rehab gym coming back - to try and get that one more appearance in Europe to have that record on my own. Those were driving factors,” he said. “The next one is I'm close to 300 appearances so I need to go for that. But there's always something to aim for and I use it as motivation. I use it when things are maybe getting a little bit tough in training or you don't see the light at the end of the tunnel. There's always something that I just have in my mind that I can go back to that drives me on.

“At the time [when the Hearts team was named], I just wanted to concentrate on the game. Definitely afterwards and on the way back on the plane, there was time to reflect and look at the last couple of years, see how far I've come and what I've had to go through to get that final one to get over the line on that record.

“That was a nice moment, it would have been nice if it had been a clean sheet, that would have been pretty special to mark it with that. But we're right in the game. From that point of view, it was job done that we bring it back to Tynecastle with a game on and a real chance to try and progress. I’m proud to get that but also straight after that there's always the next one and the next thing to aim for.”

A two-hour wait for a drugs test ensured the keeper had plenty post-match thinking time in the Doosan Arena. “Yeah, there were four of us in there so I just tried to digest the game,” said Gordon. “There was obviously the frustration of the late goal so things were fairly quiet. I knew that the rest of the lads were away back to the hotel for some food and I was stuck in a small room waiting to be able to do the test.

“I've lost count of how many I've done, I must have done 40 or 50 in my career, but it's always annoying to have to sit there. You want to be with the boys and talk through things but it's got to be done, you have to go through that and I met up with the boys quite a bit later on. I think there were three or four of them still not in their beds but it's just something that comes with these big games.”

And Gordon would know given he has played in so many. His first European outing was against Bordeaux in the Parc Lescure at the age of 20 back in November 2003. He did not expect to become Hearts’ record European appearance holder more than 20 years later. “Maybe not at this age, maybe if I had done it sooner,” he smirked. “To get to this stage and still being able to compete at this level is something that I will look back on as it's been a big achievement.

“At the moment I'm right in the middle of it, I'm concentrating on sitting there day by day being the best that I can be. It's a big challenge to stay at this level but I enjoy it. That's what I've done my whole life and I still feel good so we'll see. There are a few European games [at Tynecastle] I’ve played in over the years. The recent European ones: Rosenberg, I didn't play, RFS I did when we won. Those are our special games, you can hear it, you can feel it, it's a different atmosphere inside the ground and hopefully we can create another one of those on Thursday night.”

It is put to him that playing 30 times in Europe - as is possible - for a club other than Celtic or Rangers would be quite an achievement. Gordon is quick to point out he has another record from his time in Glasgow. “I think I've still got the Celtic record for a goalkeeper as well, I got 60-odd appearances there,” he revealed. “Between the two, I've managed to play in Europe quite a lot. That's what you want. You want to play at the end of the league to get that opportunity and hopefully I can do that for a little while yet.”

Although the Conference League parachute acts as a safety net, Hearts are in no mood to accept that with the Plzen tie firmly in the balance. “No, we're not thinking about that at all, we want to win the game, try to win it and go into it the best competition that we can. The names that are in Europa League, the size of clubs are enormous, I'm sure the fans would love a few trips to some of the bigger European teams and clubs. We want to be part of that and to do as well as we possibly can.

“It's about the whole team, the club testing themselves at that level and seeing what it takes to get back there and to improve. There's only one way to find out and that's to do it and see, experience what the next step and the next level is and try to get there.”

Perhaps surprisingly, he has still to sort out a memento from that record-breaking outing in the Czech Republic. “It would always be something to mark it, perhaps I can extend it a little bit further and keep one of those tops when it's at 30, maybe. We'll see,” said Gordon. “It would be nice to keep something of that because, as I say, it was something that definitely kept me going at times where I thought it was getting more and more difficult to do that again. It is special to me. I'll probably ask the kit man to see what he's got to keep something aside from the game.”

Hearts step up their Scottish Premiership season preparations with a clash against Tottenham Hotspur.

Hearts have two pre-season fixtures left before focus shifts to the 2024/25 Scottish Premiership season. The Jambos secured a strong third-place finish last season with 68 points on the board but they will be looking to keep on pushing and improving.

After enjoying a warm weather training camp in Tenerife, the Gorgie club returned home to host Leyton Orient in their first friendly before the new campaign. The match took place on Saturday at Tynecastle, ending in a 2-1 win to the Londoners despite Liam Boyce’s early opener.

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Before their clash with Fleetwood Town in Lancashire, Steven Naismith’s side will take on Premier League heavyweights Tottenham Hotspur in Edinburgh. Former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou will return to the capital, having last enjoyed a 2-0 win over Hearts back in May 2023.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of this weekend’s clash, including how to follow the action.

When and where is the match taking place?

Hearts will host Spurs on Wednesday, July 17th at Tynecastle, with kick-off scheduled for 7pm.

Is Hearts vs Spurs on TV?

Unfortunately, the match will not be televised on any channel in the UK.

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Is there a live stream for Hearts vs Spurs?

The Jambos have not yet confirmed whether fans will be able to watch the match via Hearts TV but Tottenham will be showing the action on their own streaming platform, SPURSPLAY, as part of their full pre-season coverage.

SPURSPLAY requires an annual subscription of £45 and customers can enjoy access to the games, as well as full match replays and extended highlights among other benefits.

Latest Hearts team news

Hearts will welcome back Zander Clark and Lawrence Shankland following their Euro 2024 run with Scotland. Kenneth Vargas is still away on leave after featuring for Costa Rica at the Copa America, meanwhile James Penrice continues to recover from a hip injury.

Wednesday’s pre-season friendly at Tynecastle will see another new face

Gerald Taylor is poised to make his first Hearts appearance in Wednesday’s friendly against Tottenham Hotspur at Tynecastle Park. The Costa Rican defender completed a loan move from Deportivo Saprissa last week and is one of seven new recruits integrating themselves within the first-team squad at Riccarton.

Hearts supporters are expected to see him in the flesh for the first time when Spurs visit Gorgie for a glamour friendly. Also due to make an appearance for the home team are goalkeeper Zander Clark and captain Lawrence Shankland. They returned to club duties last week following international duty with Scotland at the European Championship.

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“They'll be involved on Wednesday and then they'll follow the first-team schedule from now on,” said the Hearts head coach Steven Naismith when asked about Taylor, Clark and Shankland. “Today is the first day that I've seen them [Clark and Shankland] and I've not spoken to them about Scotland at all. It was more about their holidays and if they enjoyed their time off, how they feel personally.

“There will be disappointment, without a doubt, with the way the Euros campaign went. But there's then a lot to look forward to with us this season, being in Europe, the challenge of bettering what we did last season. They seem to be back to their normal ways in training.”

Taylor’s international colleague Kenneth Vargas is scheduled to report back to Riccarton before the week is out. “He'll be back at the end of the week,” said Naismith. “It's just all down to when their last game was [with Costa Rica]. We believe that the players who have been away need time to rest more than fitness. I'm not going to compromise on that. He'll be ready for the first game of the season, and hopefully he starts like he finished last season.”

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Another one being eased back into pre-season is James Penrice, the left-back Hearts signed last month following the expiry of his contract at Livingston. He underwent surgery back in February to deal with a hip Flexor injury and is now approaching full fitness.

“It'll be a week or two before he's back involved in games but that is to make sure he's robust enough,” explained Naismith. “He's had a stop-start time for the past year and we don't want to risk it for short-term gain. He is looking really sharp. It's us holding him back.”

Saturday’s friendly against Leyton Orient saw midfielder Aidan Denholm utilised at right wing-back. That was partly down to the personnel available to Hearts, but also part of the 20-year-old’s development process. “It was a bit of both,” confirmed Naismith. “I think he is a midfielder but he's intelligent and I think he's got the all-round attributes that he can play there.

“I encourage most of the young players to try different positions because, if you can play three or four positions, there's more chance of you getting a game. He has been really receptive to it and wanted to learn. He showed in Saturday's game that there were loads of good moments. That energy to get up and down the pitch, he's got that comfortably. I think he can play both positions but ultimately I do think he is a midfielder.”

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Denholm played a similar role in training drills during Hearts’ pre-season camp in Tenerife. “It was partly the personnel that was out there but also I do see it as a good opportunity for him,” added Naismith. “He learns from it and can focus on that position rather than jumping between positions in training sessions. It's down to his intelligence. He understands fundamentally what you need to do in attack and defensively, and when you're vulnerable. He's someone who can develop that as a secondary position.”

Naismith is looking forward to welcoming Spurs and their manager, Ange Postecoglou, to Edinburgh. He struck up a relationship with the Australian coach during his initial period as interim Hearts manager last year. Postecoglou was in charge at Celtic at the time and left a very positive impression on his opposite number.

“The way he plays was different and it gets you intrigued. You definitely learn from that,” commented Naismith. “My experience of Ange was when I was caretaker with Hearts. We played Celtic on the day they could win the league and he didn't really need to give me much time of day, but he did. He made a point of it before the game and was very complimentary.

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“He had never met me. He probably asked a few people around at Celtic who had worked with me at Scotland [national team]. After the game, again he was very complimentary. He just said if he could ever help, he will be in contact. Then he texted me randomly out of the blue. He didn't need to give me that time of day, he never knew if I would become the manager here or not. For a young coach, that's invaluable to get somebody of his experience to lean on. Fortunately, I have done that since then.”

Postecoglou speaks fondly of Scottish football and has talked it up many times since moving to the English Premier League last summer. “He's got the players' backs and the managers' backs. I think he has a good understanding of the game,” said Naismith. “He's got loads of knowledge and experience.

“The biggest thing that comes to mind for me is his calmness. At the start with Celtic, he was getting hounded by everybody but there was a calmness there and that helped him to be successful in Scotland - and also in the tougher moments with Spurs. I think he appreciated what the product is in Scotland. Not everybody appreciates what it is but it does have a lot of talent in it.”