Jefferies nets a French keeper

28 Oct 1995

FRENCH international keeper Gilles Rousset last night joined Hearts on a short-term contract, and if a few loose ends can be tied up this morning, the 6ft 5in keeper will make his debut against Falkirk at Brockville.

A day of negotiations ended around six o'clock when Jim Jefferies emerged from talks with 32-year-old Rousset and his agent to confirm a deal had been done.

"It is only short term at the moment, but we'll have further discussions in the next couple of weeks about something more permanent," said Jefferies.

"He's looked good in training and the negotiations have been lengthy, but I'm glad something has been sorted out."

Rousset arrives at Tynecastle with an impressive pedigree.

He has had spells with Sochaux, Lyon, Marseille, and Rennes, and as well as two appearances for France at full international side, he was also capped eight times as an Under-21.

Meanwhile, Jefferies returns to Brockville this afternoon with the wanted posters still out for him in Falkirk.

But the Hearts manager better get used to being the man everyone loves to hate, because it might not be too long before he is as unpopular at Tynecastle as he is at his old stomping ground.

After his messy divorce from the Bairns, Jefferies' arrival at Hearts was greeted as a marriage made in heaven, but with a quarter of the season gone, the honeymoon is now over.

"When I came in, everybody got a lift, and if it had continued like that this job would have been easy," says Jefferies.

"It's up to me to make the environment at the club good enough for the players to produce their best and if they don't do it, there has to be changes.

"It's not my reputation which is on the line.

People can surely see that in the past three or four years there have been some really good managers at this club.

I've told the players I have nothing to lose, they are the ones who have been struggling over the past couple of years.

"If these boys aren't doing it and I bring in another set who don't do it either, I've lost nothing," warned the Hearts manager.

"The door has been left open for them to show they want to be a part of what I'm trying to achieve here.

"The players knew what kind of manager they were getting and that I wasn't coming in to make Tynecastle a place of fear.

But at the same time, nobody is going to muck me about.

The most important thing is Hearts, not me or any individual.

If certain things have to be done, I'll have no hang-ups about doing them.

"I have no regrets about taking the job, and what has lifted me more than anything has been the response of the fans.

We haven't had a great time, but give them something to shout about and you see a response.

Give them success and God knows what could be achieved at Tynecastle."

Falkirk could also have a "new" keeper today as Tony Parks is fit again after his hamstring injury.

Parks had hoped to play in a reserve match on Thursday night, but that match was postponed because of the weather, so now John Lambie has to decide whether to gamble on the Englishman or stick by Billy Lamont, who kept a clean sheet at Kirkcaldy.

John Clark could also play, but Derek Ferguson remains doubtful.

Taken from the Herald