Well reject Hearts bid for McGhee

McGhee has enhanced his reputation at Motherwell

Motherwell have rejected a request from Hearts to speak to the Fir Park club's manager, Mark McGhee.

Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov decided against extending interim manager Stevie Frail's tenure at Tynecastle.

And a Hearts spokesman said on Friday: "We have requested permission from Motherwell to speak to their manager."

But, confirming the approach, their SPL rivals' website stated: "The Motherwell FC board of directors have decided to refuse this request."

Hearts have been impressed by McGhee after he led Well to third spot in the Scottish Premier League in his first season in charge.

His side finished the season on a high on Thursday night with a 2-0 victory away to Hibernian.

But McGhee admitted afterwards that there was uncertainty about his future at Fir Park.

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He has said he is preparing Motherwell for next season's Uefa Cup campaign but admitted that he would have a hard decision to make should there be an approach from another club.

Assistant manager Scott Leitch earlier this week insisted that there had been no contact from Hearts.

But he too said the Fir Park management team would be duty-bound to consider any other offers.

Hearts, who finished the season in a disappointing eighth place, made Frail caretaker boss at the turn of the year.

He had previously been in joint charge alongside Anatoly Korobochka.

That followed the departure of first-team coach Valdas Ivanauskas in March 2007 to mark the end of a turbulent period at Tynecastle.