Hearts finally brought their six-month search for a manager to a close yesterday when they unveiled Csaba Laszlo as their new head coach.

The Hungarian has left his post as manager of the Uganda national team to sign a three-year contract at Tynecastle. He becomes Hearts' eighth manager in the last three-and-a-half years and succeeds Stephen Frail, who left the club earlier this week.

The 44-year-old Laszlo has previously coached at Borussia Moenchengladbach, Ferencvaros, and as assistant to Lothar Matthaeus at the Hungarian national team and takes credit for the development of both Marcell Jansen, of Bayern Munich and Germany, and Eugen Polanski, of Moenchengladbach, among others.

He will begin work on Monday when Hearts fly to Belfast to take on Glentoran in a pre-season friendly and is looking forward to getting started. "This is a club with a big history, is the oldest club in Edinburgh, and one of the oldest in Scotland," he said.

"I am proud of this.

"I have liked football since I was a small child, especially in England, Scotland and Germany, so it is a small dream for me to come here."

Hearts finished second, behind Celtic but ahead of Rangers, in the league in 2006 and Laszlo believes qualifying each season for Europe and competing regularly with the Old Firm for honours should be their immediate goals.

"We must make competition for these two clubs. I need to make Hearts against Rangers and Hearts against Celtic like big derby games. I think we must work very hard for this. It is not a dream. We will do everything to be at the top.

"At the moment we must reach Europe, but we are not qualified. Our goal must be to reach Europe and to go back to the past, when Hearts had a lot of European games. I think the most important thing is to compete in the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. That is a priority."

Laszlo has accepted the position without meeting Vladimir Romanov, Hearts' majority shareholder, but hopes the pair can work closely to deliver success for the Edinburgh club.

"Normally I wouldn't come to talk only with the club officials but I know he is a busy man," he explained. "But for me the most important thing is his opinion of the club, and his vision, and I know we can work very well together. This is what I feel.

"I have never in my life seen an owner who wants to damage his club and throw his money out of the window. Everywhere you go in the world there are people who want to do something, and have success.

"Mr Romanov doesn't speak only about problems, but he has solutions - that is the most important thing."