Former Scotland boss Craig Levein has been confirmed as the new manager of cinch Premiership bottom club St Johnstone.

The McDiarmid Park outfit have announced the 59-year-old has signed a contract which runs until May 2026.

Levein, whose previous clubs include Hearts, Dundee United and Leicester, succeeds Steven MacLean, who left the Perth club last week.

Chief executive Stan Harris said in a statement: “I am delighted to welcome Craig to St Johnstone.

“Craig joins with vast experience having managed over 600 games, including having the highest honour of managing Scotland.

“We identified the need for experience to help guide St Johnstone through this difficult spell. We believe we have found that by appointing Craig.

“We wish Craig all the best in his new role and have no doubt we have picked the right candidate for the job.”

MacLean left Saints last week following a 4-0 defeat at St Mirren.

Interim boss Alex Cleland oversaw a 2-1 win over Kilmarnock on Wednesday but Saints remain three points behind second-bottom Livingston as Levein takes charge.

His first game will be the visit of Motherwell on Tuesday.

Levein, who has left his role as club adviser at Brechin City, told SaintsTV: “I am delighted to be sitting here as the new St Johnstone manager.

“I believe we have a great squad here that can kick on and start to climb up the league.”

Andy Kirk has also joined the club as Levein’s assistant.

Jurgen Klopp said fans who directed chants at Liverpool supporters that indirectly referenced the Hillsborough disaster during his team’s game at Luton should be ashamed.

The taunts were sung by some home fans during the second half of the 1-1 Premier League draw at Kenilworth Road.

Former Reds defender Jamie Carragher also condemned the chants, saying: “We’re better than that.”

Liverpool manager Klopp has previously spoken out against so-called ‘tragedy chanting’ between rival supporters and in July the Football Association issued a new charter outlining rules for dealing with the problem.

It followed the arrest of a Manchester United supporter at last season’s FA Cup final for wearing a shirt that mocked the victims of Hillsborough.

After the Luton match, Klopp said he did not hear the chanting, which occurred while the game was still goalless shortly after half-time, but added: “Shame on everyone who said it.”

Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher said: “At the start of the season I was involved in something with supporters coming together about tragedy chanting.

“I’ve just heard that a couple of times in this game. As supporters you’ve got to have rivalry, there is no doubt. But we’re better than that.

“It’s happened two or three times in the game. All clubs have been guilty of that over the years at different times.

“But the world we live in right now, I think we’re better than that.”

Liverpool earned a dramatic point five minutes into added time when substitute Luis Diaz cancelled out Tahith Chong’s 80th-minute goal for Luton.

Luis Diaz has spoken of his desperation and distress in an emotional call for the release of his father.

The Liverpool winger’s parents were kidnapped at gunpoint in Colombia last week.

His mother has since been found, but his father remains missing.

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A post shared by Luis Fernando Diaz Marulanda (@luisdiaz19_)

The National Liberation Army (ELN), a left-wing guerrilla organisation, is behind the abduction.

Diaz made his appeal after coming off the bench to score a stoppage-time equaliser for the Reds in a 1-1 draw at Luton on Sunday.

The 26-year-old marked the goal by revealing a T-shirt bearing a message reading ‘Freedom for Dad’, and he followed that up with a post on Instagram.

It read: “Today the footballer is not speaking to you. Today Lucho Diaz, the son of Luis Manuel Diaz, is speaking to you.

“Mane, my dad, is a tireless worker, a pillar in the family and he has been kidnapped.

“I ask the ELN for the prompt release of my father, and I ask international organisations to work together for his freedom.

“Every second, every minute, our anguish grows. My mother, my brothers and I are desperate, distressed and without words to describe what we are feeling. This suffering will only end when we have him back home.

“I beg you to release him immediately, respecting his integrity and ending this painful wait as soon as possible.

“In the name of love and compassion, we ask that you reconsider your actions and allow us to recover him.

“I thank Colombians and the international community for the support received, thank you for so many demonstrations of affection and solidarity in this difficult time that many families in my country find themselves living.”

Diaz’s appearance as an 83rd-minute substitute at Kenilworth Road was his first since the kidnappings on October 28.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp reiterated his support for Luis Diaz after the forward scored a stoppage-time equaliser which snatched a 1-1 draw at Luton.

Diaz missed Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest last weekend after returning to Colombia following news that his parents had been kidnapped, but he returned to training this week and came off the bench to earn the Reds a point at Kenilworth Road.

The forward’s mother has been released but he is still waiting for news on his father. After scoring, Diaz lifted up his shirt to reveal a white T-shirt which read ‘libertad para papa’ – ‘freedom for my father’.

Liverpool boss Klopp lauded the player after his header looped over Hatters goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski to cancel out Tahith Chong’s earlier strike.

“It’s wonderful, it’s emotional and it’s fantastic,” Klopp said.

“We wanted to give him the chance to be a little bit distracted from things. He cannot do anything, he’s waiting all the time and so he trained a few times and he was in a good mood, which is good.

“The signs from Colombia are positive and optimistic but not the one thing we want to hear.

“He brings the quality with the 15-20 minutes he played.

“I think not many people (can) imagine what he has going on now – even us, we are close to him of course, we are supporting him, we feel his pain, but for him it is a different level.

“Football sometimes in dark moments can bring joy to people, can bring joy to somebody who is struggling, and I think football is bringing a slice of joy to him at this time.

“We are together with him, for whatever he needs. He came, trained, came to the game, scored a fantastic goal for us that was really important and we are with him 100 per cent.”

The hosts stifled Liverpool in the first half.

And German boss Klopp highlighted his frustration with a lack of counter-pressing which he felt was “personal”.

He added: “What I didn’t like was that in the first half we had no counter-pressing.

“That’s something I take personally and I’ve told the boys that’s really not OK.

“I told them at half-time to be patient and that if they could add counter-pressing into the play then that would be really helpful.”

Luton almost played the perfect game, only to concede late on.

And manager Rob Edwards felt pride at full-time after his team’s efforts gave them an important point in their survival bid.

“My overriding feeling is pride,” Edwards said. “Of course we wanted to win the game but maybe they would have felt hard done by if we had won that.

“We had a plan and the players committed to it and we got close. The feeling is pride.

“The players gave everything.”

A second-half own goal from Lucas Ness earned spirited part-timers Cray Valley a 1-1 draw at Charlton in an absorbing FA Cup first-round tie.

The Addicks opened the scoring in the ninth minute. Slobodan Tedic left Karoy Anderson’s pass and it allowed Scott Fraser to slot home after rounding Cray Valley goalkeeper Sam Freeman.

The hosts had more first-half chances but Tedic saw a right-footed strike from the edge of the box tipped over by Freeman while Chem Campbell headed wide from Fraser’s corner.

Tedic lifted the ball over from close range after being picked out by Charlie Kirk shortly before the interval.

But the Isthmian League South East Division side levelled in the 48th minute when a sliding Ness put the ball into his own net from an excellent cross by Kyrell Lisbie, the son of former Charlton striker Kevin.

Kirk had a huge chance to restore the home team’s lead shortly after but Freeman saved with his legs.

Charlton brought on Alfie May and Miles Leaburn to try and find a breakthrough but Cray Valley defended resiliently and deservedly set up a replay.

Stephen Kingsley claims he was confident VAR would save him from the red card he was initially handed in Hearts’ 3-1 Viaplay Cup semi-final defeat by Rangers at Hampden Park.

The Light Blues were leading through a James Tavernier double, one from the spot, and a Scott Wright drive when referee Nick Walsh introduced another layer of drama to the occasion.

With around 10 minutes remaining Walsh showed already-booked Kingsley a second yellow and a red card for diving inside the Rangers box.

However, VAR intervened and after checking his pitch side monitor, Walsh deemed Gers substitute Ben Davies had tripped Kingsley and rescinded the second yellow and pointed to the spot, with Lawrence Shankland slotting in the penalty.

Kingsley said: “I got in front of my man and as soon as I got the touch on the ball I felt the contact on my left ankle so I knew it was a penalty.

“When he gave the second yellow I was very confident, I knew it was a penalty.

“I was hoping that VAR would do its job and thankfully it did.

“Nick Walsh said at the end of the game that he was glad that the right decision was arrived at and I said that’s what it’s there for.

“But right now we are disappointed with the result.”

John Lundstram hailed “man mountain” skipper James Tavernier after he scored a double in Rangers’ 3-1 Viaplay Cup semi-final win over Hearts at Hampden Park.

The Gers right-back opened the scoring with an assured penalty five minutes after the interval before half-time substitute Scott Wright fired in a second five minutes later.

A trademark curling free-kick from Tavernier in the 64th minute made it three, with Hearts skipper Lawrence Shankland scoring from the spot late on, as Philippe Clement’s side sealed a place in the December 17 final against Aberdeen.

Midfield Lundstram said of Tavernier: “He is some player. I don’t think I can give him any more praise.

“He is captain of the club and he gets unfair criticism sometimes from you guys (in the media) and people outside and sometimes he doesn’t get enough credit when he gets us out of tough moments.

“I can’t speak highly enough of him. He is a man mountain – when the pressure is on he steps up.”

Clement is unbeaten in five games since taking over as manager from Michael Beale last month.

Lundstram described confidence at Ibrox as “really high” and added: “He has been so good since he came in.

“It’s hard to put your finger on just one thing. He has been a breath of fresh air. The mood around the place is just so much better.

“He has been fantastic with everyone and has emphasised how important everyone is in the group.”

Luis Diaz ended a traumatic week by coming off the bench to save Liverpool from a shock defeat at Luton with a stoppage-time equaliser in a 1-1 draw.

Substitute Tahith Chong looked to have secured a sensational Hatters win when he finished off a superb break to slot past Alisson 10 minutes from time.

On their first league visit in more than 30 years, Liverpool appeared rocked by a raucous atmosphere inside Kenilworth Road and were never at their free-flowing best against a side that dug in, ground out and waited for their chance.

And Chong’s goal looked to have been decisive until Diaz, who came off the bench seven minutes from the end for his first appearance since his father was kidnapped in Colombia, got his head on Harvey Elliott’s cross five minutes into added time to deny Luton a famous win.

Diaz lifted his shirt in celebration to reveal a message on a white T-shirt that read ‘libertad para papa’ or ‘freedom for my father’.

Liverpool sought the victory that would move them second in the table, but the first half was a test of their patience as Luton executed an organised, determined plan to stymy their attacking advances.

Darwin Nunez tested the reflexes of goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski early on, striking from outside the box and drawing a diving save from the Luton goalkeeper low to his left.

Nunez went closer still when his first-time effort struck the top of the crossbar from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s superb pass from deep in midfield.

Mohamed Salah sliced an effort over after Luton failed to clear Dominik Szoboszlai’s free-kick, but on the whole the hosts contained Liverpool well during the opening 25 minutes.

Ryan Gravenberch looked to inject urgency into a ponderous attacking display with a bursting run through the centre, laying the ball off to Diogo Jota who had made a smart run, but after an intelligent dash into space his shot was too close to Kaminski.

From the resulting corner, Alexander-Arnold hit a first-time drive that was blocked inside a crowded penalty area, encapsulating Liverpool’s half.

At the other end, Alfie Doughty and Chiedozie Ogbene linked up well down the left and worked the ball into the middle where Ross Barkley had found space. Unmarked and with a free hit at goal, the former Everton midfielder thumped his 20-yard effort over the bar as Luton’s best opening of the half came and went.

The second half brought with it a growing sense that a single goal might decide things, and Edwards’ side were credible candidates.

In the 63rd minute, Ogbene, a thorn in Liverpool’s right-hand side throughout, raced away from Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate and cut the ball back for Carlton Morris.

It looked for a moment like his contact would be sufficient to beat Alisson, but Liverpool’s goalkeeper had narrowed the angle between Morris and the goal, and the ball spun to safety.

Salah and Nunez conspired between them to miss the game’s best chance so far with 20 minutes to go.

The Egyptian was left unmarked six yards out and nodded towards his team-mate despite Kaminski being exposed. Nunez had time and space but not the composure required to crack the game open, and he ballooned horribly over.

Yet Liverpool’s threat was undoubtedly growing. Nunez made a better job of his next chance, hammering towards the near post from Salah’s pass but again Kaminski was his equal to fist it over the top.

With 10 minutes to go the moment for which home fans had patiently waited arrived, and it began with Liverpool on the attack.

It was Barkley that collected the ball as a corner routine for the visitors broke down, carrying it up over the halfway line with Liverpool committed and pushing it wide on the right into the path of Issa Kabore.

His low cross into the box landed perfectly for Chong who did not even break stride as he guided the ball with consummate cool past Alisson to send a shockwave of noise around Kenilworth Road.

It was all Liverpool after that and they snatched an equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

Elliott’s ball into the box was delivered well, and as Luton lost concentration there was Diaz to nod home and rescue his side.

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper praised young musician Caiden Storry after he could not complete the Last Post ahead of the 2-0 win over Aston Villa.

Storry was consoled by both sets of players and Cooper, before being given a standing ovation by the City Ground after failing to finish the famous tune that marks Armistice Day celebrations.

Cooper says the club will reach out to the 16-year-old, who is a Forest fan, and said everyone was proud of him.

“I’ve got a 15-year-old boy and I love it when he shows confidence to do things because it isn’t always easy in this era we live in,” Cooper said.

“For a 16-year-old boy who’s a fan to stand in the middle and do that and do it brilliantly as well, he should be really proud and we are proud.

“To see how both sets of players responded, because they have to perform and they know what it’s like.

“It was a really important moment and I thought everyone came together in what is always a poignant moment anyway.

“I managed to have a word with him and we will try and reach out to him and bring him to the training ground and I want him to meet the players so he knows how good he was.

“I told him I was proud of him. He said, ‘I’m sorry about that,’ and I said, ‘What for? Everyone is really proud of you’.

“The Villa boys were excellent and the City Ground was what it was, what we have got, which is unique, we have to keep it going because when things don’t go quite right, let’s look to support each other.

“The fans and players did a brilliant job, Caiden did a brilliant job today and I’m really proud he delivered that for us.”

Victorious Fleetwood manager Lee Johnson challenged his players to use their FA Cup exploits as a springboard after beating Kidderminster 2-1 at Aggborough.

Headers from Josh Earl and Shaun Rooney either side of the break were enough for the Cod Army to dump the National League strugglers out of the competition, cancelling out Bailey Hobson’s side-footed opener.

Overcoming adversity in front of a vocal home crowd, Johnson admired the courage of his players at the final whistle.

“We had four golden chances and my criticism is not punishing them and putting the sword through,” he said.

“I was very pleased with the players, particularly after they scored because giving up a goal against a side like this where it’s really important for them to do well in the cup, it gives them something to get hold of.

“We weren’t scoring a lot, now we look like we’re doing that but we’ve got to be ruthless and be killers in front of goal.

“It’s a competition that I really want to do well in and to achieve success, because I think it can be a catalyst to push us on as a football club.”

For Harriers boss Russell Penn on the receiving end of the result, plenty of heart can also be taken, he feels.

“We’re really disappointed with the timings of the goals, because in an FA Cup game you have to have that momentum going into half-time when we’ve scored so late,” he said.

“The whole place was flattened by the second goal and it’s so hard to pin it back especially against better opposition.

“We could’ve been at our absolute best today and still lost the game, and we have to respect that.”

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery knows his side missed the opportunity to show they can be contenders at the top end of the Premier League after going down 2-0 at Nottingham Forest.

Villa were below their best as they lost for the first time in six games as Forest won thanks to goals from Ola Aina and Orel Mangala.

Emery’s side, who have enjoyed an excellent start to the season, could have moved above Arsenal and into the top four, but they fluffed their lines.

“Today was a key moment, if we could really be a contender to be in the top seven teams and we lost the opportunity,” Emery said. “I believe in the players, I know they can but we have to be very demanding. We can’t concede chances like we did today.

“If we want to be in the top seven teams we have to try to reduce the mistakes we made today.

“The key moment in 38 matches is every match. Today was a key moment to take some distance with the other teams and get in the top-four positions but we lost this opportunity, now the next match against Fulham next week is a challenge and it is again a key moment.”

Forest took a fifth-minute lead when Aina converted from 20 yards and they doubled their lead after a rare Emiliano Martinez error shortly after restart.

The Argentina World Cup winner won the Yashin Trophy, effectively making him the best goalkeeper in the world, at last week’s Ballon D’Or, but this effort will not be winning him any awards after he could only palm Martinez’s effort into his own net.

Emery added: “We are human and we can make a mistake. I never punish the mistakes of the players because I want to try to get the confidence of everybody, practising, trying to do everything well and when we are facing other teams we have to be better than them.

“But never punishing mistakes, not only for Emiliano, for everybody.”

Forest won for the first time since September 2 with an impressive performance where boss Steve Cooper won the tactical battle against Emery.

Villa played with a high line and Forest exposed them with their pace.

Cooper said: “The players massively followed the game plan. I said to them, I’ve got real gratitude to them for committing to the plan we put in place.

“We came up against a really in-form team with loads of good players and an excellent manager. You have to respect them, but you have to look at a plan where you can win.

“I’m really pleased that the goals we scored were from how we thought we could create chances. Once you get there, you want the players to back themselves to convert.

“Even though they had a lot of the ball, I never really thought we would concede. I never felt the goal was getting peppered. Defensively, we were excellent, both tactically and our defensive intuition backed up with desire and commitment.

“I’m really pleased with the players. They showed a great attitude to the plan. It was an incredible atmosphere to support the players’ performance. I thought today was a really good example of what we’ve become over the last couple of years, and I think that needs a bit of recognition.”

League One Derby left it late to avoid an upset at Crewe as last-gasp goals from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Conor Hourihane secured a 2-2 draw at Gresty Road.

Goals from Courtney Baker-Richardson and Elliott Nevitt in either half had swept the League Two front-runners into a two-goal lead and the Rams fell away after dominating the first period.

Crewe goalkeeper Harvey Davies saved Conor Washington’s header with his leg and Baker-Richardson cleared Sonny Bradley’s set-piece header off the line.

The Railwaymen were dangerous on the break and Joe Wildsmith blocked a Rio Adebisi effort after Ryan Nyambe lost possession on the edge of the box.

Tom Barkhuizen dragged an effort past a post and Washington curled over, but the visitors were caught out when Adebisi delivered a superb cross to the far post where Baker-Richardson finished in the 41st minute.

Wildsmith saved from Nevitt and Conor Thomas either side of the interval, but Mendez-Laing should have equalised when Korey Smith delivered a cross and the attacker headed over with the goal at his mercy.

Nevitt’s finishing, though, was spot on as he took Baker-Richardson’s pass and fired in off the far post in the 54th minute.

Paul Warne made a raft of changes and Kane Wilson’s lofted drive was saved by Davies at the near post and another Rams substitute, James Collins, saw a close-range finish chalked off for offside.

With time running out Mendez-Laing’s 89th-minute shot slipped through Davies’ hands to reduce the arrears and the attacker then set up Hourihane, who finished into the top corner in the third minute stoppage time.

Craig Levein has revealed he has held talks with St Johnstone about becoming the club’s new boss.

The McDiarmid Park club are looking for a replacement for Steven MacLean, who departed the Perth outfit last week.

Speaking on BBC Scotland Sportsound, the 59-year-old former Scotland, Hearts and Dundee United manager said: “I’m really looking forward to it, but until the ink has dried on the paper, nothing is done.

“I want to have another go at it, throw the dice and see if, in the latter stages of my career, I can make a difference to St Johnstone and get them up the league.

“There have been conversations. This opportunity is something that I looked seriously at – looked at the squad, the results, spoke to a few people – and had a good feeling about it.”

MacLean left Saints last week following a 4-0 defeat at St Mirren which left the club bottom of the cinch Premiership with just four points from nine games.

Coach Alex Cleland assumed interim charge and guided the Perth side to a 2-1 win over Kilmarnock in midweek, but Saints remain three points behind second-bottom Livingston.

Norwich head coach David Wagner vowed to battle on after seeing his side’s poor form continue with a 3-1 home defeat at the hands of Blackburn.

The Canaries have now lost eight games out of 10 in all competitions, slipping to 17th in the Championship as a result after a bright start to the campaign.

“If I get the chance I will work to turn this around but I am not the right person to ask (about my future),” he said.

“I take responsibility, for sure, because I am the manager of this team, and today wasn’t good enough, I know that, and the longer this run goes on the more difficult it gets.

“But this squad proved what it’s capable of early in the season and as I said I am ready to work hard to put things right.”

Wagner, who confirmed he would not be resigning, added: “I thought we actually started quite well, winning the ball in dangerous positions, but after that our press wasn’t right and they punished us.

“At 3-0 we had a mountain to climb. I cannot fault the effort of the lads but we were not clinical enough, we didn’t take the good chances we created.”

Norwich were punished for a slow start as a slick Blackburn side scored twice in the first 15 minutes at Carrow Road.

A simple pass inside from Joe Rankin-Costello put Tyrhys Dolan in to run through and smash the ball high into the roof of the net and then Andrew Moran slid Sammie Szmodics in to make it two.

It was all too easy for Blackburn, with the home fans making their discontent clear, and four minutes after the restart it got even bleaker for the hosts as Szmodics got his second of the game.

Dolan did well to pick out an unmarked Moran on the right and his low cross was tapped in at the back post by Rovers’ top scorer, who got the benefit of a tight offside call.

The visitors were quickly reduced to 10 men when Scott Wharton saw red for a professional foul on Onel Hernandez, but Norwich had to wait until the second minute of injury time to pull one back from Gabriel Sara, who was in the right place to pounce on a loose ball in the area.

Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson was understandably pleased with his side’s comfortable win.

“I thought it was an excellent win and performance – we played at a very high level for long periods,” he said.

“Norwich are going through a difficult spell at the moment but they are still a good team with good players and it was important we got on the front foot immediately. We scored two good goals and had other good chances and it could easily have been 4-0 at half-time.

“We stuck to our principles, with plenty of one and two-touch football, and I thought we played some really good stuff at times.

“We scored another well-worked goal in the second half and then got the red card, which obviously affected the game.

“After that I thought we defended like lions to keep them out, showing great team spirit, which was another positive from our young team.

“We put in a good show at Chelsea and we have followed that up today with another good performance, which is very pleasing. We can now enjoy this and then prepare for the derby against Preston on Friday.”

Danny Webb believes Chesterfield deserve their place in the FA Cup second round after Tom Naylor’s first-half header knocked out League One leaders Portsmouth at the SMH Group Stadium.

Former Pompey midfielder Naylor headed the National League pacesetters into a round-two tie with mid-table League One side Leyton Orient, and Spireites assistant manager Webb thinks they were value for the 1-0 win in front of a sell-out crowd.

Chesterfield claimed a deserved lead just after the half-hour as Liam Mandeville curled in a free-kick and Naylor beat goalkeeper Will Norris to the ball to head home.

Chesterfield had chances in the second half to add to their lead but were rarely troubled by a Portsmouth side who lost Regan Poole and Tino Anjorin to injuries before the break.

Webb said: “We needed them to be a little bit off their game and we had to be on it and both things married up today.

“I’m going to be biased but I think the best team won today. Portsmouth made it a real tough cup tie with their supporters and how they played at times.

“Supporters want to see flair, they want to see wins. They want to see goals but they want to see passion.”

Portsmouth head coach John Mousinho admitted his side were second best.

He said: “We got punished by a very decent side. There were plenty of things I thought we did well up until half-time but I thought second half Chesterfield were all over us to be honest.

“We don’t want to overreact but sometimes the best thing to do is take a breath and we will review the game on the bus on the way home.

“Our quality was very poor in the second half. We got in some very good spots but the ball kept going behind for a goal kick.”