BY ALAN TEMPLE – @CCP_Sport
ROBBIE NEILSON has been dubbed “the most exciting young manager in the UK” after completing his switch from Hearts to MK Dons.
The 36-year-old and assistant, Stevie Crawford, put pen to paper with the League One outfit yesterday after the respective clubs agreed a compensation package on Thursday evening.
Neilson, who took over Hearts in the Championship and leaves them in second place in the Premiership following two-and-a-half years at Tynecastle, will take charge following the Dons FA Cup tie against Charlton on Saturday.
And ambitious chairman Pete Winkelman has lavished remarkable praise on his new charge.
He told the Dons’ official website: “I’m hugely excited. Robbie has been on our list from day one – he’s the most exciting young manager in the UK, by a country mile.
“Hearts are a good club. They didn’t stand in Robbie’s way and they made it possible. They worked with us to make sure it was as smooth as it could be, given that it’s in the middle of the season.
“He was at a big club and he was doing well at a big club so we had to get our timing right. We wanted to make sure that we would get the right person for the job and I’m so pleased to be sitting – almost within the time frame that I gave everyone – with the man I believe is going to take this Football Club forward.”
Neilson meanwhile is adamant he has picked “the right club” to take his plunge into management south of the border.
He added: “I’m looking forward to developing the club, developing the players and moving the club forward.
“The most important thing for me was picking the right chairman and the right club. This was the right match at the right time – it’s a club that’s going places.
“Hopefully the fans are ready for the ride. We want to create excitement but, most importantly, win football matches. With the squad that we’ve got here, we should be winning football matches – our job is to help them do that.”
