Joe Savage left Hearts just five months ago stating a desire to take some time away from the game.
The 40-year-old was at Tynecastle for three-and-a-half years as sporting director and helped them re-establish themselves as one of the top forces in Scotland after returning from the Championship.
Savage started up a new venture after quitting Hearts, in the form of a football consultancy firm called FT FT Consultancy.
Savage later opened up on his Hearts exit, revealing there were tears when he told CEO Andrew McKinlay and admitting he had one regret from his spell in Gorgie – not winning a trophy.
He also discussed how it was important to get back to spending more time with his family after finding he was neglecting them by being too busy with club business.
The former Jambos supremo may have left before what could be an exciting time for the club as Hearts soon announced a partnership with Jamestown Analytics, a data firm.
And its founder, Brighton owner Tony Bloom, is also in talks with Hearts about investing and becoming a shareholder.
Joe Savage gives takes on Hearts analytics move
Savage admits he would have embraced the move down the data analytics route if he was still at the club.
The success of Brighton under Bloom’s ownership and amid their own use of Jamestown’s algorithm is more than enough evidence, and he thinks it would have made his job with Hearts‘ recruitment easier.
But he also insists it wouldn’t have likely stopped him from leaving had he known about it.
Savage told the Daily Record: “I would have embraced it as it’s clearly shown to have worked with Brighton over the years and Ipswich as well last season.
“Any help you can get in the recruitment sense is beneficial and worthwhile. I didn’t know about the algorithms coming in.
“People ask me would it have changed my mind. But it probably wouldn’t have.
“Hearing what the guys are saying, it sounds brilliant and it does take a lot of pressure off you as a sporting director that you have this model to help identify players.”
Savage looks for football return following Hearts exit
Despite all he said about family time and also having set up his consultancy firm, Savage feels the time is right to get back involved with a club again.
And he is open to working in England again after stints at Norwich and Preston, or going abroad.
He added: “I needed to refresh and recharge my batteries. But I’ve got fire in the belly and I’m ready to go again and find the right club and the right project.
“It’s great I can give my all to my family. I felt I was becoming someone I didn’t want to become as it’s a job that is so all-consuming. I now want to go to a club that I can help build and that has a real structure and identity in place.
“I feel my record stacks up against most. I’ve completed the Level 5 for Technical Directors course with the English FA and I’ve been pretty successful. I’ve worked in the Premier League, the Championship and the Scottish Premiership. And I’ve learned a hell of a lot along the way.”