Hearts striker Uche Ikpeazu reckons Craig Levein is one of the best managers he has ever worked with.
The Uganda striker, 25, was signed by Levein in summer 2018 and went on to impress in his first season at Tynecastle, scoring eight goals despite a four-month injury struggle.
His strength and physical style of play turned him into a fan favourite in Gorgie and two goals against Hibs, both at Easter Road, also helped endear Ikpeazu to the Hearts supporters.
But he has often found himself out of the team under current boss Daniel Stendel following Levein's departure as manager.
Yet despite the poor end to the former Scotland boss' second spell in the Tynecastle dugout, Ikpeazu holds him in the highest regard along with his manager at Cambridge United, Shaun Derry.
In an Instagram Live with friend Jojo Debayo of The Gap Academy, he said: "It's tough.
"If you're talking about the best man-manager, I have to put Shaun Derry and Craig Levein in the same bracket.
"Working with Craig Levein, he didn't really say much.
"But one thing that no-one can take away from him is, he's a nice man, he's a good guy.
"He cared about the club and players, and whoever you are, he didn't treat anyone badly.
"He was stern and he was just a good man-manager. Playing helped me, but he was a good man-manager.
"He didn't speak as much as Shaun Derry, but when he spoke you knew that it was significant.
"He put that sort of pressure on me without even saying much. As in, 'you need to deliver, you're going to have to deliver for us', that sort of thing.
"And more often than not, particularly in my first season, I did."
