Manager happy not to lose to Hearts

01/11/13: JJ - "Here there is maybe a pathway to take over in the future

Manager Jim Jefferies has revealed that it was Hearts who had expressed an interest in gaining the services of Pars under 20s coach John Potter. He explained:-

"I can't say that they offered him the job because I think there were three or four candidates. John refused to go to the interview stage because he has plans. I would never have stopped him if that is what he wanted to do. He would be going over there to run the 20s which he is doing here. He has involvement with the first team here and likes it here.

"He wants to one day become a manager and I think if he goes over there he will be a manager in a 20s set up and it could take him longer to get an opportunity over there. Here there is maybe a pathway to take over in the future. He does a terrific job and learning off me, just like Neil McCann does. He says he is really really happy here, doing what he is doing.

"It says a lot for him. He turned down the opportunity to speak to them because he is so happy at Dunfermline. We were delighted with that and Robbie Neilson has got the job. It is great that John got recognition for taking our youths to the final."

The Manager was happy that one of his backroom staff has failed to follow the likes of Kevin McHattie and a young keeper to Hearts. Blair Henderson, a member of last season's SFA Youth Cup final team, has also played as a trialist in the Hearts U20s recently but the SFA have copies of a contract that was offered by Dunfermline to the player.

Henderson failed to return to Dunfermline for pre season training and Jefferies explained-

"We did it all officially, doing what we had to do before a certain time. He can move; your option when you are out of contract is to move but he is under 23 years of age so there would be some compensation due. Good luck to the boy, if he signs for Hearts he will have signed for a great club. Hearts will do the honourable thing, they have done so in the past but we saw something in him, we wanted to keep the boy."

Blair Henderson might never pull a Pars shirt on again