Alan Stubbs reckons Davie Weir can help get Hearts flying high again thanks to his spell at the Seagulls.
Record Sport exclusively revealed how former Jambos defender Weir is a target for the sporting director role at Tynecastle.
And Stubbs – old Everton team-mate and dugout rival of Weir’s – believes his 14-month spell as Brighton’s loans manager means he would arrive in Gorgie with a jam-packed contacts book and potential targets.
Stubbs is adamant the English loan market will be more important than ever next season for financially-stricken Scottish clubs hit by the Covid-19 crisis.
Brighton currently have 13 players out on loan from Belgium to Blackburn and Derby to Den Haag, with Weir having to track them all.
Weir, also linked with the Hearts sporting director role seven months ago, took up the position at the Amex Stadium after becoming disillusioned with the management side following stints as No.2 to Mark Warburton at Rangers and Nottingham Forest.
Stubbs denied him Scottish Cup glory when he put one over his ex-Goodison Park pal by guiding Hibs to a thrilling Hampden win in 2016.
Weir, now 50, remains the last Light Blues skipper to lift a major trophy at Rangers yet is fondly remembered on the other side of the M8 following his part in the 1998 Scottish Cup victory.
But for Stubbs the ex-Scotland stopper’s suitability for the role is as much down to the present as his playing days at Tynecastle.
He said: “Davie’s just perfect for the role and ticks every box. He will have built up a real strong database of contacts during his time at Brighton and by that I don’t just mean phone numbers but also relationships.
“Davie will have met managers, assistants and sporting directors to discuss players’ developments. He’d have been in charge of match reports, physical reports so he’s well equipped for it if it’s something he’s interested in.
“Given the current climate, as a result of the pandemic, the loan market will be even more crucial for all Scottish clubs so that kind of information will be invaluable.
“I’ve spoken to Davie quite a few times and he’s really enjoying it but if something like sporting director came up then it’d probably appeal to him more than going back into the dugout.
“Davie’s a bright guy and it would be a great role for him. He’s got a good understanding of the youth market because of his role at Brighton which, with Hearts potentially going into the Championship, could be crucial.
“It was very helpful for me having a good understanding of the English market from my time at Everton and a connection of people I could ring up. Davie would have that.”
