Former Hibs attacker eyes up 'ideal' Scottish football return with St Johnstone

Former Rangers and Hibs midfielder Dean Shiels is in the hunt for a new managerial job, following his departure from Dungannon Swifts back in June of this year - and he has the vacant St. Johnstone post in his sights, according to recent reports.

In a recent interview, Shiels cited his ability to work with a limited budget and his propensity for playing attractive football - he feels he would be a strong fit for the job.

Shiels led a nomadic career during his time as a player - not only did he play for Hibs and Rangers, the Northern Irishman also turned out for clubs such as Kilmarnock, Dunfermline Athletic and Doncaster Rovers.

What did Dean Shiels say regarding the vacant St. Johnstone post?

Speaking on his desire to take over at St. Johnstone, Shiels said: “I got my first job with Dungannon in 2021 and they were in a similar situation to St. Johnstone. They were working on a limited budget and because I had no money to spend, I used youth and academy players in the first team. But I kept them up, we doubled our points tally from the previous season, and scored twice as many goals.

“Most of the teams in the Irish Premiership used this really ugly, long-ball game, but we played out from the back and kept the ball on the deck. A move back to Scotland would be ideal. I’ve spoken to a couple of Scottish clubs in the last six weeks, but there wasn’t enough on offer.”

Who else is in the running for the job?

Of course, Shiels isn’t the only head coach who has been touted as a possible candidate for the St. Johnstone job. Celtic legend Scott Brown is one of the favourites to take the reins [via Yahoo News] - David Martindale and Robbie Nielson are also in the running.

Shiels will need to fend off some heavy competition if he wants to land the role - his brief foray into management has been successful, but his lack of experience could hold him back in this instance.