£500,000 Huistra off to the unknown No-go Mo is first problem for new 'queen' of Hearts

JAMES TRAYNOR

30 Dec 1994

RANGERS have sold their Dutch winger, Pieter Huistra, to 'J' League side Hiroshima San Frecce for £500,000, which means they have earned almost £5m in sales over the last three weeks.

Everton's willingness to pay £4.3m for Duncan Ferguson and now the transfer of Huistra, who was at Ibrox for four and a half years, leaves Rangers manager Walter Smith in an extremely healthy position as he looks around for fresh talent.

Also, the chances are he will have even more to spend because he is still anxious to off-load a few more players to make space in the dressing room for the players he believes can help make Rangers a force in Europe.

Huistra, a player of some subtlety but whose final delivery was often wayward, was never quite able to command a regular first-team place, although he had been performing well in recent months.

The arrival of Brian Laudrup seemed to bring more out of Huistra, but he always suspected he was surplus to requirements.

UEFA's non-nationals' rule also conspired against him often, but the 27-year-old did well not to become too disillusioned, and he is relishing the chance to begin again, even if it is in a set-up which is still trying to gain world-wide recognition.

"It is very much a step into the unknown," Huistra said, "but I hope it will work out."

Huistra has signed a two-year contract with the club which is managed by a fellow countryman, Vim Jansen, who played for Holland in the World Cup finals in 1974.

Jansen's team were runners up in the 'J' League last season and he hopes Huistra can provide the spark which can take them to the title.

Basile Boli could be another player Rangers might wish to sell off, even though he arrived only at the start of this season from Olympique de Marseille.

Boli has not impressed and it has been alleged in the past that he has spoken in less than glowing terms about the Ibrox set-up to a French publication.

He was given the benefit of the doubt by Rangers, but apparently he has spoken again to a French newspaper, Liberation, allegedly pointing out that he would like to win championship medals in four different countries.

He has a dream, and it is to win the premier division championship with Rangers and also the titles in England, Germany, and either Spain or Italy.

He is "driven by a desire to win," but he will do well to hold on to his place in Rangers' first team when all of their players are fit and available.

Although they paid Marseille £2.7m for him, I suspect Rangers would not be too unhappy to take the money from some club in England, Italy, Spain, Germany or wherever and help him on his way to fulfilling his dream of winning in four countries.

Hearts appoint Scottish football's first female chief executive, Sally Robinson, on Monday, and one of her first duties could involve clearing the way for Maurice Johnston to leave Tynecastle, which will be no straightforward matter.

It is believed Johnston is seeking a £175,000 pay-off.

Robinson's remit will cover the financial, commercial and administrative side of the club while manager Tommy McLean will continue to have complete control over the playing side, but she will have to become involved if Johnston is to be taken off the pay roll.

The former Partick Thistle, Watford, Celtic, Rangers, and Everton striker has had talks with McLean and the chairman, and made it clear he will leave the club if they smooth the way with a decent offer to buy out the remainder of his contract.

Johnston was signed originally on a short-term basis and in October '93, Mercer awarded him a two-year deal thought to be worth £400,000 plus bonuses.

Johnston fell out of favour soon after McLean left Motherwell to become Hearts' manager in the close season, and he has been banished to the reserves.

Mo's exile there could be costing him around £1000 a week, but his conditions remain lucrative enough, although he would much prefer first-team football.

Hearts may be willing to pay him off at around £100,000, but Johnston will want to go at his price, and it will be up to the new chief executive to decide whether or not the club has the money to pay.

She may find, however, that Hearts can't afford to keep him.

Taken from the Herald