Euro 2004 winner Fyssas adds pedigree to Hearts

ALAN PATTULLO

IT TAKES something of significance to stop Hearts fans enthusing about a 4-0 win over Hibs, and with the capture of Greek international left-back Panagiotis 'Takis' Fyssas they were yesterday talking of a genuine contender for signing of the decade at Tynecastle.

Fyssas has appeared on 47 occasions for Greece and starred in the country's epic run to become the champions of Europe last summer. He has also played over 40 times in the Champions League, participating in Panathinaikos' march to the quarter-final stage in 2003. Last season he collected a Portuguese title medal with Benfica, having helped the club to a first league win in 11 years.

Fyssas, 32, has moved on a free transfer from Benfica and signed a two-year contract with Hearts, but the price to be paid for such a pedigree will likely tell in his wage demands - thought to have been again met by major shareholder Vladimir Romanov rather than the club.

A fluent English speaker, Fyssas spoke warmly about Hearts manager George Burley and included him in the reasons for coming to Tynecastle at the expense of a variety of other interested suitors, in the English Premiership and abroad.

Burley revealed that Fyssas came at the recommendation of Romanov's network of scouts rather than his own. However, there can be no doubt about the manager's willingness to have a player of such calibre aboard as he continues his Hearts revolution. And it doesn't end here, with goalkeeper Steve Banks set to sign up today from Gillingham and the search still on for back-up to right-back Robbie Neilson.

"We are keen to keep improving the quality," said Burley. "Nobody is guaranteed an automatic spot in the team."

Even Fyssas will need to prove himself and the player spoke of retaining the hunger to do this after so decorated a career. As well as picking up a European Championship winner's medal, he scored when Benfica won the Portuguese Cup against Jose Mourinho's Porto two seasons ago. Edgar Jankauskas, now a colleague of Fyssas', was in the losing team that day, and will be glad the Greek star is due to line up alongside him rather than against him.

"I scored in the final against Porto and I made a joke to him that we are now in the same team," said Fyssas yesterday. "Now we both want him to score." And so too does Burley, with his free-scoring side already having struck four times in both league games so far his season. Fyssas, though, will be more interested in preventing them going in at the other end, although he is known for his powerful surges from defence into attack. Burley said he could ill-afford to turn down the opportunity to add such a distinguished player to a squad rapidly developing into something very exciting indeed.

The manager described Fyssas' CV as "impeccable", and was convinced by the defender's desire to move to Scotland.

"The club felt it was too good an opportunity to miss," he continued. "The club became aware that Takis was available more than myself. It wasn't my network. It was Mr Romanov's. Mr Romanov was very keen for the player to come to the club, and it was too good an opportunity for me to turn down."

Fyssas, a charming interviewee, made a convincing impression of someone desperate to play for Hearts and also make a home in Edinburgh. His wife is expecting their first child - a daughter - in December.

"I said 'yes' to Hearts though I had offers from a big team in Holland and also from Spain, an English Premiership club and a big, big offer from Russia," he said. "I said 'yes' immediately to Hearts because we have some high-level ambitions."

Taken from the Scotsman