Return is a dream come true for Neil

AT the crack of dawn this morning in a secluded Edinburgh hotel, Neil McCann slipped his feet into a shining new pair of shoes to walk the first steps of episode two of his Hearts career.

He donned a smart navy suit and climbed into a car with his new coach, Graham Rix, for the short journey to Hearts' training base at Riccarton. Thirty minutes later he would meet the media to formally announce his return to the club.

Upon arriving, McCann's image conveyed only the impression of a consummate professional, who, at 31, has assumed something akin to tunnel vision to ignore all distractions around him and ensure that his aim of rejoining a club imbedded in his heart was realised.

His smart, athletic, and perhaps most importantly of all, focused, appearance can only augur well for the next two and a half years in Gorgie, where McCann hopes to spend a productive twilight period of his illustrious career.

Money was never a major factor for a player handsomely rewarded in previous guises at Ibrox and St Mary's, and emanating from McCann this morning was the aura of unshakeable confidence that he was in precisely the right place in spite of the financial rewards offered to him elsewhere.

It's not as if he didn't have enough choices. His broad Port Glasgow accent could so easily have been echoing around the JJB Stadium or the Stadium of Light, where the respective managers Paul Jewell and Mick McCarthy were today left to curse the emotional ties some players can develop with certain clubs.

Instead, McCann is back in Scotland to lend his lean frame to the most complete challenge to Old Firm dominance Scotland has seen since the emergence of Aberdeen and Dundee United as the New Firm in the early 1980s.

"When I left Hearts to go to Rangers I don't think anyone would have turned down that move at that time, but I did always harbour the desire to come back," he said. "When Hearts came in and made their interest known there was only one place I wanted to go and I'm so pleased it's gone through.

"I could have gone to the Premiership but I had such a good time here before, although it only lasted a couple of years. What we achieved in that time was fantastic and I had a great rapport with the fans. I hope that can continue now I'm back. The time I had at Hearts previously will rank as one of the best in my career, and anybody who was involved in that side which won the Scottish Cup in 1998 could never forget it.

"The lure of the Premiership was there and if I wanted it then I could have made it happen, but when a club comes in for you that means so much you have to take the chance. My first choice, as soon as it was known, was Hearts. I told my agent that and I told the manager that the first time I spoke to him."

That initial conversation took place on Friday, the ultimate result of it saw McCann front up at Riccarton this morning complete with boots, ready to allow his new colleagues a glimpse of the pace, skill and hustle he can bring to any side.

He had flown from England's south coast to Glasgow yesterday afternoon and was met briefly by his father, who had driven from the family home in Inverclyde to provide a car for his highly sought-after son. McCann then took to the M8 and arrived at Riccarton to begin negotiations with Rix.

Those were concluded late last night, so it's a fair assumption that little sleep was managed by the Scotland internationalists who had secured a second coming.

"I had six managers in two years at Southampton," continued McCann. "I tried so many times under all of them but enough was enough.

"I had some injuries in my first year there but after that I was fit almost all the time and was still left in the stand on a Saturday. That's why I asked to be released from my contract to let me move on.

"I've been talking to Hearts for a number of days now and it's quite clear what their thoughts are. They want to win things and they are putting the pieces in place that will lead them to success. I want to push them further. They have this fantastic new training ground, which is already benefiting them, and the whole set-up with Mr Romanov's involvement is really taking the club forward.

"I knew Graham Rix at Dundee because I was just a kid when he came up to play there. If he's the same as what I remember as a teenager then I can't wait to start playing under him.

"Graham made me feel important but I'm not coming here with any illusions that I'm going to walk straight into the team. For me to do that would be a joke. I have enough confidence to hold down a place if given the chance." That chance is expected to arrive at Rugby Park on Saturday, with an appetising second home debut pencilled in for the following week. "If you're going to start afresh it might as well be in an Edinburgh derby.

"I've enjoyed quite a few good results against Hibs in the past and I hope that continues."

Clearly, McCann hasn't lost sight of Hearts' priorities during his absence.

Rix said of his new capture: "He is a feisty little player who I remember from my time at Dundee.

"He brings a winning mentality and he knows what it takes to be successful. He has experience, he can play a number of positions but it is up to me to decide where he plays.

"This is a big signing for Hearts and it shows that we are serious about our challenge.

"There may be more signings on the way and we are working hard to bring people in. However I do not want to tempt fate because things can go wrong.

"We have interest in a number of players but there are so many things which can go wrong. It looks possible now that we won't be getting Neil Mellor and there have been one or two complications during our negotiations with Mirsad Beslija."

Taken from the Scotsman