Hearts winger signs for Millwall

james traynor

6 Aug 1991

JOHN Colquhoun yesterday signed for Millwall, who paid Hearts £400,000 for the 27-year-old winger, writes James Traynor.

Again he had been linked with Aberdeen, who tried to sign him in a £500,000 bid two years ago, but the offer made by the English first-division side was one he could not refuse and the prospect of entering the Den held no fears.

Colquhoun's departure might make it possible for Hearts' manager Joe Jordan to bring in other players in an attempt to strengthen the squad for the rigours ahead, and he will be seeking clarification of this with his chairman, Wallace Mercer.

The manager says he would like to think he would be allowed now to strengthen certain areas of his team and hopes that he won't have to sell anyone else.

So far he is ahead in the spending game having taken in something in excess of £550,000 for Colquhoun, Jimmy Sandison, and Martin Christie.

Jordan used £350,000 of this money to bring Ian Baird from Middlesbrough, but it is likely that he wants to improve his defence, although he will be delighted by the determination being shown by Craig Levein, who has not had his troubles to seek when it comes to injury.

Levein has been using a new system in an effort to attain a higher level of fitness than ever before.

The system was brought to his notice by Duncan Kerr, a Scottish squash internationalist, and involves hi-tec computer equipment.

"I met Duncan at a hotel leisure complex near Dunfermline where he is a stress and fitness consultant," said the 26-year-old central defender, "and I was suffering from a niggling leg strain at the time so I decided to try his method.

I thought I was fit, probably fitter than many of my colleagues, but after five weeks with Duncan I realise just how unfit I had been."

Levein pointed out that he was not criticising Hearts' training methods, but he remains convinced that the way back into the Scottish international team is on the back of Kerr's system.

The player also pointed put that he wants to be in a position to take full advantage of any possibilities when his contract with Hearts expires at the end of this season.

Kerr's method is a computerised system of energy potential analysis, stress management, and diet.

"As an international squash player I know the importance of fitness."

Taken from the Herald