Richard Gough is looking for a way into management

Park has decided to move to Hearts with John Robertson to remain an assistant.

He will be in the Caley Thistle dugout as caretaker for Saturday's match against Dunfermline Athletic.

But Park will then head for Tynecastle and leave the Inverness board considering early applicants, which BBC Sport understands include Gough.

Caley Thistle's board had discussed the vacancy with Park, but the coach who had a previous spell as caretaker at Hibernian after the sacking of Franck Sauzee has indicated his preference to return to Edinburgh.

Defender Stuart McCaffrey had said of Park: "I think he would be the most popular choice in the dressing-room and among the fans as the work he has put in along with the gaffer has been outstanding."

It is also vital that we take proper time to look at all the options available Caley Thistle chairman Ken Mackie

Robertson was unveiled as Hearts head coach on Wednesday after a compensation package had been agreed between the two clubs and wants Park to follow him.

McCaffrey was disappointed but not surprised that Robertson had moved on.

"Once Craig Levein left Hearts, we put two and two together and realised that Robbo would be the natural choice," he said.

"Steve Paterson left in similar circumstances, so we have lost two managers, but we can say that they have left because of our efforts and we have helped them go on to bigger and better things."

Caley Thistle had originally rebuffed two approaches from Hearts before conceding defeat in their bid to keep their manager.

Caley Thistle chairman Ken Mackie said: "While we appreciate it is important to get a new manager in place as soon as possible, it is also vital that we take proper time to look at all the options available so that we have the right person in place who is right for this football club."

Inverness report a flood of applications for the vacancy.

Livingston assistant Alan Kernaghan, who was manager of Clyde, and former Aberdeen and Inverness boss Paterson are thought to be leading candidates should Park leave.

Paterson was sacked at the end of last season and would therefore be available to resume a role he had previously carried out with success.

Motherwell assistant manager Maurice Malpas has already been linked with the job, as has Dunfermline Athletic coach Paul Hegarty and former Motherwell and Coventry City manager Eric Black.

Robertson led Caley to the Bell's First Division title last season, having inherited the bulk of his squad from Paterson, who had left to succeed Ebbe Skovdahl at Aberdeen.