Former Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo has emerged as a leading candidate for the Dundee United job.

The 53-year-old Romanian-born Hungarian has been interviewed for the Tannadice vacancy and is now considered a serious contender to replace Ray McKinnon.

The Tangerines hope to announce their new man over the next day or so and, with the club wanting an experienced coach rather than a young boss, Laszlo fits the bill.

He lives in Edinburgh and obviously has an understanding of the Scottish game from his successful spell at Tynecastle.

He spent 18 months at Hearts from July 2008 and led them to third place in the then SPL and qualified for the Europa League.

Those achievements won him a prestigious double reward in the spring of 2009 as both Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League manager of the year and Scottish Football Writers’ Association manager of the year.

Perhaps his greatest feat of all, though, was becoming the longest-serving boss of controversial owner Vladimir Romanov’s time in charge.

As well as his stint in the capital, Lazlo has managed the Lithuanian national team, Belgian club Charleroi, Hungarian side MTK Budapest and, most recently, Slovakian club DAC 1904, whom he joined when they were bottom of the league and led them on a record 16-game run that fell just short of European qualification.

Now it is over to the United board to decide if he will be given the chance to manage in this country again.

His competition to become McKinnon’s successor is still understood to include former United striker Jim McIntyre and ex-Raith boss John Hughes.