Duffy a shock recruit as Hearts take January signings to 11

HEARTS head coach Graham Rix made what he interpreted was a statement of intent when unveiling five new players at a press conference at Tynecastle yesterday afternoon. But that was not the end of the business. Before the transfer window shut at midnight, the Tynecastle club had signed three more in the shape of the experienced Slovakian international defender Martin Petras, the Czech striker Ludek Straceny and the former Marseille goalkeeper Rais M'Bolhi.

Rix also revealed one further major surprise when he announced that former Hibs manager Jim Duffy will be joining the club's coaching staff with immediate effect.

In what must rank as the most extraordinary day of transfer activity in the Gorgie club's history, Hearts took the number of signings made during January to 11.

The deal for M'Bolhi was sealed at around 11pm, while the signings of Petras and Straceny were completed just minutes before the transfer window shut at midnight. The highest profile of the trio is Petras, a right-sided defender from Sparta Prague. A regular in the Slovakian national side, Petras, 26, has played in the Champions League.

Straceny, 28, is a striker with Viktoria Zizkov who has been on loan at another Czech side, Marila Pribram. He has been capped by the Czech Republic and was a member of the Zizkov team that eliminated Rangers from the UEFA Cup in 2002, scoring in the 2-0 first-leg win.

In what has now become a familiar route for new Hearts recruits, Petras and Straceny have joined on six-month loan deals after signing for FBK Kaunas, the Lithuanian club controlled by Hearts majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov.

M'Bolhi, 19, has been training with Hearts for some time and last night signed an initial six-month deal. He was a free agent following a spell at Marseille.

Earlier in the day, Rix was at a press conference to introduce Mirsad Beslija, an £850,000 record capture from Racing Genk, plus Bruno Aguiar, Jose Goncalves, Juho Makela and Chris Hackett. It brings the number of players signed by Hearts this season to 19. "It shows we mean business," said Rix. "We are trying to carry on what we have done this season, and hopefully improve on it."

Rix believes his squad has grown to the extent that another pair of hands is required. While few can be surprised his chosen ally is Duffy, once referred to by Rix as his greatest friend in football, it contradicts what he said when he arrived at Tynecastle in November. Outside the stadium a mob of unhappy fans made clear their anger that Rix had been named as successor to George Burley. Inside the walls of the stadium Rix did not seek to inflame them further by suggesting he might appoint Duffy, his former No2 at Portsmouth, to his management team.

"I respect Hearts and their supporters and, with all due respect to Jim, walking in with an ex-Hibernian manager next to me might not have been ideal," said Rix then. "I spoke to Jim about it and he understood fully. I trust him and respect him but I had to think of how Hearts supporters would feel and do the right thing by them."

Less than three months later Duffy is at Hearts with a wide remit that includes the youth players at the academy as well as the first-team. The feel-good vibes engendered by Saturday's 4-1 win over Hibs perhaps persuaded Rix that this was the time to bring in Duffy.

Duffy, who left Dundee in August, will be in the dug-out for this Saturday's Scottish Cup clash against Aberdeen.

Asked whether the appointments amounted to a show of backing from majority shareholder Romanov, Rix said: "To a certain extent, yes. You don't want the dreaded vote of confidence but when you get backing and support like this it gives you a boost."

Taken from the Scotsman