Livingston are set to unveil Paul Hegarty as the successor to Roberto Landi today after confirming the former Aberdeen and Dundee United manager has agreed an 18-month contract.
The 54-year-old was yesterday expected to complete his move to Almondvale by putting pen to paper on terms.
The club's Italian owners have opted for a Scottish manager after their countryman, Landi, paid the price on Monday for a string of disappointing results, most notably the Homecoming Scottish Cup defeat to third division East Stirling at the weekend.
Celebrating the capture of Hegarty, Livingston director Tommaso Angelini said: "We agreed an 18-month contract with Paul late on Wednesday evening and we are hopeful he will put pen to paper and be unveiled on Friday. I don't expect any problem with this.
"Everyone at the club is delighted by this, Paul brings great experience and he is a very trusted person within Scottish football. I am sure he will work well with the club to take it forward."
The former Dundee United captain will have little time to prepare the team for tomorrow's visit of Dundee as Livingston look to close the six point gap on first division league leaders St Johnstone.
After leaving his position as Motherwell assistant manager in the wake of Maurice Malpas' departure in summer 2007, Hegarty, who has held coaching positions at Livingston, Hearts and Dunfermline, has worked as a scout for Scotland manager George Burley.
Jocky Scott, the Dundee manager, was among the first to congratulate Hegarty and believes he'll relish getting another chance as much as he has. Scott was appointed at Dundee last month after six years out of the managerial game and Hegarty was in the same boat - after leaving his post as Motherwell assistant last year, and it often seemed unlikely he would get back in as a manager in his own right.
The two are close friends from their playing days on opposite sides of the Dundee divide, but Scott won't be doing his mate any favours. He said: "I'm delighted for Heggie. It's great for him to get back into management.
"I think, like myself, he maybe thought he wasn't going to get another chance.
"Unfortunately Maurice Malpas couldn't take him down to Swindon and he's been out of a job since he left Motherwell."
Scott knows from his own experience what a difference a new manager can make and Dundee are unbeaten in his four games since coming back to the club. Hegarty will be hoping to have a similar impact at Almondvale and Scott will be warning his players to be wary of a backlash.
"It's strange how every time a new manager takes over the players seem to do better in the next game," Scott said. "So we have to make sure that we turn up there in the right frame of mind and play the way we've been playing."
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