Derek McInnes could be Scotland boss if Hearts win title, as Clarke's future remains uncertain

Derek McInnes is emerging as the leading contender to take over as Scotland manager should Hearts win the Scottish Premiership this season, according to ongoing assessment of the current power dynamics in Scottish football.

Hearts sit six points clear at the top of the table and have already taken key scalps, including wins away to Celtic and Rangers, a run that has intensified speculation about McInnes’s long-term appeal for national-team duties. The manager has long coveted the Hearts project and has repeatedly linked his future to sustained success in Tynecastle, a narrative now intersecting with the Scotland job as the current coach, Steve Clarke, weighs his options after the World Cup cycle.

Clarke’s position remains fluid. His contract with the national side is tied to the North America cycle, and while there has been talk he might stay on through 2028, much will depend on performances against Haiti, Morocco and Brazil. Even if Clarke stays beyond the current World Cup slate, the prospect of McInnes stepping into the role later remains plausible should Hearts secure the league title and show no signs of relinquishing momentum.

For McInnes, success with Hearts would not only sharpen his managerial credentials but also directly affect his suitability for the Scotland post. He has long coveted the Scotland job and, in the view of many observers, would bring a profile capable of steering a national team through a demanding competitive calendar while also managing a club project that has attracted outside investment and European ambitions under the ownership of Tony Bloom. Hearts’ recruitment model, including collaboration with analytics groups such as Jamestown Analytics, is often cited as part of his broader strategic toolkit—an attribute some see as transferable to a national-team setup that requires a clear structure and data-driven decision-making.

If the Scotland job becomes formally open, any conversations about a transition would likely convene the Scottish Football Association (SFA), McInnes, and Hearts’ owners to consider timing, compensation, and the feasibility of balancing a national-team role with club commitments. The dynamic would be delicate: McInnes would need to demonstrate he can keep Hearts’ title push on track while preparing for duties that are inherently national in scope, long-range and subject to the unpredictable nature of international football.

The current debate surrounding McInnes includes the potential for him to swap roles with minimal disruption if Hearts reach the summit this season. His experience in turning mid-to-lower-table teams into league contenders, alongside a growing reputation for orchestrating organized, defensively solid teams that can punch above their weight, makes him an attractive option in discussions about succession for a Scotland side seeking a fresh approach.

Within Hearts, the conversation about the manager’s future and the club’s trajectory is closely linked to the January window and beyond. Supporters and insiders acknowledge that Celtic and Rangers may mobilize more resources in the market, potentially widening the gap if Hearts fail to sustain their form. Nonetheless, the current momentum at Tynecastle has already shaped perceptions of McInnes as a candidate who could balance club duties with national-team ambitions if the title is secured.

Former Hearts manager Craig Levein added his voice to the discourse, arguing in a midweek podcast that Hearts currently have more exciting players than the Old Firm and that sustaining a title challenge would strengthen McInnes’s case for national-team consideration. The discussion also touched on the quality of the squad at the front end, with players such as Lawrence Shankland in proven goals-scoring form and a mix of attacking options that could be further enhanced by a January strategic addition.

If Harvey Barnes signs to operate on the left and Ben Doak provides balance on the right, the potential is there for Scotland to adopt a more dynamic wide-play approach under McInnes’s guidance. But those elements remain speculative and contingent on Hearts’ ability to finish the campaign on a high note and on Clarke’s ultimate decision regarding his own future.

Looking ahead, Hearts’ path to the title remains challenging. The six-point cushion is substantial but not insurmountable, and the fixture list includes a marquee test against Rangers at Tynecastle later in the season. How McInnes navigates this period will matter not only for Hearts’ domestic ambitions but also for the broader national-team calculus should the opportunity arise.

In the end, the scenario remains hypothetical: if Hearts does clinch the league this season, Derek McInnes’s status as a Scotland candidate would move from plausible to highly probable in the eyes of many observers. If Clarke remains at the helm, McInnes could still be kept busy navigating busy domestic duties while the national team weighs its long-term direction. If Clarke departs or a vacancy opens, the talk would shift from possibility to probability, with the SFA and Hearts facing a delicate negotiation to align the right timeline and responsibilities.

For now, the focus remains on the pitch: Hearts pressing the title, McInnes’s latest tactical decisions, and the careful calculus about Scotland’s next steps should a managerial transition be on the horizon. The next months will be telling, and the story of McInnes’s ascent—whether as Hearts’ architect of a title or as the successor to a Scotland legend—will unfold in real time, with the football world watching closely.