Former Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart has taken another on-air pot shot at his former boss Craig Levein as he rinsed his time at Tynecastle.
Levein spent a two year stint in the Gorgie dugout while also working as a director of football for the club, before the axe fell on the 58-year-old in October 2019. Daniel Stendel would arrive in the capital in a bid to steer the club away from the Premiership relegation zone, but the club later crashed out of the top flight when the season was curtailed in the midst of the Covid pandemic.
Since then, Robbie Neilson has steered the capital outfit back to the top flight, building them into the third force in Scottish football with the Jambos looking certain to secure European football again next season, finishing behind Rangers and Celtic as the Glasgow sides battle it out for the title. And Stewart looked to take on Levein over his role in the club's struggles on BBC Sportsound.
While heaping praise on Neilson, Stewart said: "Things are very, very positive for Hearts on the whole. They are in a great place and long may that continue.
"You look at the last three years with Hearts and the Championship was just about getting through, and last season they had massive positive of getting into Europe and the money that has come with that. This season they have consolidated their position as the third force and they will be able to reinvest next season.
"I know that Craig Levein is sitting there but he left the club in a terrible place, and in a short period of time – he can laugh in the background if he wants but it's a fact – and the job that has been done there by everyone he has left has been absolutely fantastic. Robbie Neilson deserves a huge pat on the back because they were in a poor position when they came in."
Host Richard Gordon aimed to quickly move the conversation on, clarifying: "In Craig's defence it wasn't him that was laughing, he didn't even have his microphone up. It must have been someone else."
Leven chimed in "I think that you're wrong" before Stewart launched back into a sparring session by asking: "So you are suggesting the club wasn't in a poor place when you left?" Gordon jumped in again stating: 'I think we will leave that there, it's a discussion you guys can have off air."
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