New job confirmed for former Blackpool and QPR boss just two months on from Seasiders sacking

The 45-year-old has been officially confirmed as Hearts boss, and replaces Steven Naismith at Tynecastle, with the club currently sitting bottom of the SPL table with only two points from their opening eight games.

Critchley has penned a deal with the Edinburgh outfit until the end of the 2026/27 campaign, and is joined by his former Seasiders assistant Mike Garrity.

The former Liverpool youth coach enjoyed a successful first spell with Blackpool between 2020 and 2022, guiding the Fylde Coast club to promotion to the Championship via the League One play-offs in his first full season.

He departed the Seasiders to become Steven Gerrard’s assistant at Aston Villa, but only lasted a few months with the Premier League side due to the sacking of the former England captain.

Critchley then resumed his own managerial career with QPR, but like his stint at Villa Park, his time at Loftus Road proved to be short-lived, winning just one of his 12 games in charge.

This prompted his return to Bloomfield Road last summer, with the Seasiders back in League One.

Unfortunately he was unable to replicate his past success, and missed out on the play-offs on the final day of the season following a defeat away to Reading.

Blackpool did give Critchley the summer to rebuild his squad, before making the decision to part ways after only two league games, following back-to-back losses to Crawley Town and Stockport County.