HEARTS expect Friday's player wages to hit bank accounts today, after the second delay in their payment this season.
The Tynecastle playing staff did not receive their weekly wage as planned three days ago; the club insisting immediately that the payments were on the way from the Lithuania-based Ukio Bankas Investment Group and would be in accounts today. Last nigh
t, a senior club official reiterated that stance, saying he foresees no further complications.
In September, when salaries were not paid, it took a week to resolve the situation. There will, say Hearts, be no such delay this time around. The Hearts captain Christophe Berra, who excelled in Saturday's 2-1 defeat of Rangers, has stressed he and his team-mates took little heed of the wage issue.
"I think it proves what kind of squad we have got," said Berra when asked if a lack of payment could have had an impact on team spirit before Rangers' visit. "We are all professionals, we go out on a Saturday and want to win.
"If there are players who came here with that on their minds, they are the type of players you don't want. Luckily we don't have players like that. When you cross the line, you are professional and want to do the best at your job. I think we did that on Saturday."
On the specifics of the delay, the Scotland international added: "The money is obviously there, it was being processed on Friday but it is the end of the month, a lot of different people are being paid and the bank didn't have enough time to process it.
"We have been assured the money will be there on Monday morning. It is not a concern; we will enjoy our victory.
"I trust the people I speak to at the club and we trust the owner (Vladimir Romanov]."
Berra said he is in no rush to depart Hearts, despite speculation linking him with a January move to Wolverhampton Wanderers or Fulham. "I am not for a minute saying I want to leave this club," said the 23-year-old. "I have been here for a long time and am enjoying working with the new manager."
Meanwhile, Rangers skipper Barry Ferguson admits he is still a few weeks away from being back to his best as he bids to put his injury woes behind him. The midfielder, 30, has started the last four games after recovering from ankle surgery in the summer.
"I've got another few games yet before getting up to speed with the other boys," he said. "I've had a few starts and I've still got a way to go. In pre-season, you usually play about eight games. I've had four starts now and, in another couple of weeks, that will be me."
Kris Boyd has revealed he almost quit Rangers in the summer. The striker admitted his omission from key matches last season led to him considering his options. But Boyd – Rangers' top scorer this term with 13 goals – concluded he simply could not walk away.
"I thought maybe my time was up and I'd have to move on," he said. "I thought about it over the summer, but decided to give it another shot. I didn't want to walk away and give up on the club I love as easy as that."
The full article contains 571 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
