Football
Michael Oti Adjei, Special to ESPN 5y

Kim Grant planning to end negativity at Hearts of Oak

Former Ghana international Kim Grant is confident he can bring the good times back to Accra Hearts of Oak after penning a three-year deal as director of football and head coach.

Grant becomes the latest in a long line of coaches to try and replicate Hearts of Oak's successes in the late 90s and early 2000s when they dominated the local scene and won the Caf Champions League.

The club has struggled since then, and are without a major domestic title since 2008, when they won the last of their 20 Ghana Premier League titles.

"I know exactly what I am getting into," 14-cap Grant announced at his unveiling. "I know the rich history of this club.

"I also know the responsibility I have been handed."

The 46-year old spent much of his playing career in the lower divisions of English football, but has worked as technical director and academy head coach at top-flight side Elmina Sharks since returning to Ghana.

He becomes Hearts of Oak's third coach in 2018, but is determined not to let the frequent changes at the club get to him.

"What has happened in the past has happened," he said. "I want to bring a lot of positivity to this club.

"There has been too much negativity around this club, but my role is to make sure this club is successful for the longer term."

Hearts Chief Executive Mark Noonan believes Grant can deliver that success.

"Kim is the right man at the right time to lead our programme forward," he said in a statement.

"First and foremost, he has all the personal qualities we were looking for in a leader: integrity, work ethic, communication skills, attention to detail, and incredibly high standards of professionalism.

"Add to that his rich experiences in the game as a player and manager, his understanding of the local league, high level European training, comfort with modern coaching/scouting technologies, and commitment to playing entertaining, attacking football, make him the ideal fit."

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