Andy Halliday insists stable Hearts are reaping the rewards of carnage elsewhere under long serving Robbie Neilson

Andy Halliday believes the managerial musical chairs playing out in the Premiership has allowed Hearts to steal a march on the likes of Motherwell and Aberdeen.

The Tynecastle midfielder insists the statistic that half of all clubs in the league have triggered a change in their dugout over the last 12 months is a sign of disruption that never breeds success. A sign of the calm in Gorgie has been underlined by boss Robbie Neilson being one of the league’s longest-serving gaffers, having been in post for three seasons.

Halliday admits it’s a far cry from the carnage of the recent past. He said: “Stability is massive in football. The gaffer has signed the majority of players in the squad and a big part of the reason they have come here is for the club and the ambitions that the manager has set out. I’m 31 now and I don’t think I’ve had a longer-serving manager, maybe him and Steven Gerrard roughly about the same time.

“It’s brilliant for the club to have that stability and, if you look from the top to the bottom, we’re running very smoothly right now. The recruitment since I’ve been here is a big factor in why we’ve done so well – a lot of the key players are tied down to long contracts.

“Kye Rowles signing a new five-year deal was excellent for us. We’re really strong just now but of course we’ll try and strengthen. The manager has brought that stability and growth to Hearts.”

Halliday is also convinced the hire-and-fire approach at Tynecastle – which saw Ian Cathro, Craig Levein and Daniel Stendel dismissed in the space of four years – prevented the consistency that is key in forming close bonds.

He said: “Hearts have been in that situation over the last few years. Thankfully, it was before my time because it is not nice.