Hearts manager Jim Jefferies believes St Johnstone boss Derek McInnes has the managerial credentials to be a success in England.
McInnes, who has been in charge of Saints since succeeding Owen Coyle as boss in November 2007, has been tipped as having the potential to emulate the successes of his predecessor and has been linked with the vacant Burnley job, among others.
Jefferies, who was manager at Bradford for one year until November 2001, said: "I'm not surprised he's been linked with a lot of these jobs. There's a lot that have come up - if he's planning to go to England this is probably his best chance, although St Johnstone will have something to say about that."
He added: "He's built up a great reputation in the game. What he's done at St Johnstone has been fantastic and it's no surprise that he's been linked with jobs down there, a bit like Owen Coyle and Paul Lambert. It's something that will probably happen."
Jefferies and McInnes will meet at Tynecastle on Sunday as Hearts play Saints in the Scottish Cup fourth round.
Hearts are third in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League having won eight of their last nine games, their only dropped points coming when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Inverness - a side St Johnstone defeated 1-0 last weekend.
Jefferies, who led Hearts to the Scottish Cup in 1998, is determined Saints do not halt the run.
"The good thing about a run like this is you want to keep it going," he said.
"That's the challenge for this team, to try and have a good cup run and try and go all the way. It would be the icing on the cake if we managed to get another trophy.
"(But) the league's a marathon, cup ties are a bit of a sprint. You can play well and still go out of the competition and you don't get another chance. It's just on the day, who wants it more."
Source: PA
