Tynecastle players fully behind new coach, insists Pressley

ANGUS WRIGHT AND IAIN COLLIN

STEVEN Pressley, the Hearts captain, has told new first-team coach Graham Rix he has the full support of the squad.

The former Arsenal and England midfielder was officially unveiled on Tuesday and has joined until the end of the season. But the arrival of the 48-year-old was met with a disappointed response by supporters, who are concerned the appointment of Rix did not meet the high-profile successor to George Burley they had been promised by majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov. Some fans turned up outside Tynecastle to heckle Rix on his arrival and concern has been expressed about his conviction in 1999 for unlawful sex with a 15-year-old girl.

Representatives of supporters' groups will meet with Rix on 12 December in a bid to alleviate any concerns. But, after privately meeting Rix on Monday, Pressley has already assured the former Chelsea coach that the squad will be fully behind him.

Rix said: "It is always difficult when you don't know the names of the players straightaway and you are suddenly faced with around 20 new faces. But I spent four hours with Steven Pressley on Monday night and he said to me 'I am telling you now, gaffer, you won't have any problems with the guys here. The spirit is great and they are delighted you are here'.

"Football throws up different challenges all the time, which is why it is a great game. I have had loads of challenges throughout my career but I have to admit this is the most excited I have been in football for years."

But the new Tynecastle head coach will listen to advice from all quarters as he prepares for the Bank of Scotland Premier League trip to Aberdeen a week on Sunday. Rix said: "I am listening to anyone - I am not blinkered in my approach to anything. I will listen to everyone because you never know when you might get a little gem from somewhere."

Across the city, Hibs manager Tony Mowbray has again used his Ipswich Town contacts to snap up the highly-rated Canadian midfielder Keegan Ayre in the face of competition from the Tynecastle club. Mowbray was tipped off about the 17-year-old's availability by his former Ipswich team-mate Frank Yallop, who now coaches the Canadian national side.

The youngster was also believed to be interesting Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday and Dundee, as well as Hearts, but after training with Hibs has decided his future lies at Easter Road.

Hibs were yesterday tying up the loose ends of a deal to bring Ayre from Canadian club British Columbia but Mowbray clearly has high hopes for the cultured play-maker who is a regular in his national under-20 set-up.

He said: "I've spoken about Keegan with Frank Yallop, the national team manager at Canada, who I played with at Ipswich, and he is well thought of. He has been training with us for a week or so and he is obviously a talented player.

"He's a very technical footballer and has a lot to offer but he's only a boy at 17-years-old.

"He has enjoyed it with us and we are happy to try and get something sorted out. We're going through some technicalities at the moment but an agreement is in place."

Mowbray, who has another former Ipswich team-mate Mark Venus as his assistant, has previously raided the Portman Road club for striker Sam Morrow, midfielder Antonio Murray and defender Chris Hogg.

Taken from the Scotsman