Football is a drug - you don't want to let it go

AS a player he was reared in the fabulous Ipswich team of the early 1980s under Sir Bobby Robson.

As a manager he took the Premiership by storm and frightened Inter Milan half to death in Europe. If George Burley was originally Vladimir Romanov's second choice for the Hearts job, he's not a bad safety net.

When Robson refused the opportunity to lead Romanov's all-singing, all-dancing revolution in Gorgie, the old master could not have guessed that one of his star pupils would eventually emerge as the man likely to benefit most.

Burley, having met Hearts chief executive Phil Anderton two weeks ago and Vladimir Romanov on Tuesday, has agreed "the guts" of a contract with Hearts that will earn him in excess of £300,000 a year, and has now usurped Nevio Scala as the front runner for the position. So what will Romanov receive in return for showing the 49-year-old Scot the colour of his Lithuanian Litas?

Burley is a determined, studious type. It is such qualities that make him a competent golfer who plays off a handicap of 14, and his love of the fairways gives him much in common with the last man to manage Hearts.

However, it is his talents on an alternative type of green turf that could see him on the synthetic training fields of Riccarton come Monday. A return to Scotland was not on the cards when Burley stepped down as Derby County manager at the beginning of the month, but Hearts' desire for a new head coach after eight weeks of scouring coupled with Burley's insatiable appetite for the game have altered his thinking.

"Football is a drug," he said. "When you are involved in it, you don't want to let it go and if you are out of it, you miss it badly. I've been very fortunate to have had a great career as a player and a manager so hopefully I can keep enjoying it for as long as possible. At the moment, I love the involvement. Football's been my life since I was 15 and I've still got a lot of hunger."

He wants to come to the SPL to compete, as is Romanov's want. Burley spurned a £100,000-a-year offer from Millwall just over two weeks ago because they failed to match his £250,000 salary at Derby. Romanov's ability to let his money match his ambition led to no such problem.

A product of Ipswich's famous youth structure, Burley was born in Cumnock, Ayrshire. He joined Ipswich in 1972 and made his debut the following year against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Robson had so much faith in his protégé's assurance that he detailed him to mark George Best.

Burley won the FA Cup with Ipswich in 1978, beating Arsenal 1-0, but missed the Suffolk club's finest hour when injury precluded him from playing in the 1981 UEFA Cup triumph over the Dutch club now known as AZ Alkmaar. In addition, he garnered 11 Scotland caps and continued his playing career well into his 30s with Motherwell, Falkirk and as player-manager of Ayr United.

In June 1994, he returned south as player-manager of Colchester United, and it was at Layer Road that he really began to serve the required managerial apprenticeship in a town just 17 miles from his spiritual home, Ipswich.

It took just six months for the call from Portman Road to come, and it was answered emphatically.

Under the chairmanship of David Sheepshanks, Burley built a team that entertained and thrilled. They were denied a place in the Premiership with play-off defeats in three consecutive years between 1997 and 1999, eventually succeeding in 2000 and charging to fifth place in their first season in top flight.

That achievement brought a subsequent UEFA Cup campaign, during which Burley masterminded victory at Portman Road over an Inter Milan side led by the respected Hector Cuper, although Ipswich eventually went out on aggregate. How Romanov must be drooling at the prospect of such historic nights taking place at Tynecastle.

The main tool used for chiselling Burley into the refined coach that Hearts covet was, of course, Robson.

"Bobby was a tremendous character," said Burley. "I was amazed when Freddy Shepherd said a while back that he wasn't hard enough on Craig Bellamy. I just remember him at Ipswich. We'd been going through a hard time and I remember him taking one or two outside the dressing-room and telling them what was what. He had a few little punch-ups as well.

"He had total respect. He was strong when he needed to be and was totally fair. He treated you like a father would. So I was brought up on that and at times I can be firm but I try to be human as well. I think those sort of managerial qualities, wherever you do it, are important."

Robson didn't always lead from the front, however.

"I remember once we actually left for an away game without him," recalled Burley. "We were on the coach about to head to Newcastle and our assistant manager, Bobby Ferguson, just shouted: 'Right, let's go!'

"So we started driving off past the ground, then we looked behind us and there's Bobby Robson running behind with his arms flailing. I don't think Bobby Ferguson was too popular by the time he got on the coach."

Burley attained the accolade of England's Manager of the Year in 2001 for his exploits in Suffolk, and after moving to Derby in 2003 he cemented his reputation in the Midlands.

The captain at Pride Park, Ian Taylor, was released by Burley last month only days before the Scot handed in his resignation, but it appears that both the personal and professional qualities of the manager make it hard to hold him in disdain.

"He can have his little tantrums when things aren't going his way," said Taylor, "but George was good to me and I would wish him well with Hearts. He brought me to Derby to add some experience because he had a team of kids when he took over.

"The main attribute he had at Derby was getting good players in with virtually no money.

"I think he will do really well in Scotland."

The Derby dressing-room was a notoriously noisy place under Burley, reportedly much to the chagrin of director of football Murdo Mackay as the head coach permitted the blasting of music from stereos to keep the mood of his players upbeat.

His own musical tastes are more in line with his personality, his favourites being the likes of Rod Stewart, Elton John or Anastacia.

Music and golf certainly hold Burley's interest, but it will be Hearts who will have his devotion should he sign on the dotted line.

And the scribbling of pen on paper will certainly be music to Romanov's ears.

Taken from the Scotsman