Hostilities put on hold as Romanov may have to let Webster return

ANDY Webster could be recalled to the Hearts starting line-up for Sunday's crucial Bank of Scotland Premierleague fixture against Celtic at Tynecastle despite the acrimonious stand-off between his agent, Charles Duddy, and club owner Vladimir Romanov over the defender's future.

It was confirmed yesterday that Romanov is preparing to put Webster up for sale as a result of the breakdown in negotiations with Duddy over a new contract for the 24-year-old Scotland international whose present agreement expires in the summer of 2007.

Sources close to Romanov, however, suggested last night that Webster may yet be considered for a place in the team to face Celtic as Hearts look to bounce back from last Saturday's derby defeat at Hibs and maintain their advantage over Rangers in the race for runners-up position in the SPL and a place in the Champions League next season.

It is understood that Romanov accepts Webster's absence at Easter Road, where Hearts lost 2-1 with a rookie defensive partnership of Christophe Berra and Ibrahim Tall, was counter-productive.

There seems little doubt that Romanov has been influencing the team selections of his Lithuanian compatriot Valdas Ivanauskas, the interim head coach at Hearts. Although Webster was not missed when left out of Hearts' two previous matches, he was one of their best performers in the game against Celtic at Parkhead at the start of this month.

Webster's involvement on Sunday will depend on the progress made by club captain Steven Pressley and Portuguese defender Jose Goncalves in their recovery from back and knee injuries respectively, but it is believed both Romanov and Ivanauskas agree that the defence needs to be strengthened for the visit of Celtic.

Duddy, the Forfar-based agent who handles Webster's affairs, refused to discuss his client's situation last night.

It was in February - when Webster was left out of the Hearts side for a match at Dundee United - that Duddy enraged Romanov by revealing that it had been the club owner's decision. Duddy announced that negotiations on a new contract for Webster had been terminated.

Hearts' website yesterday published a full account of Romanov's comments regarding Webster and Duddy, given in an interview with a Moscow-based English journalist. Romanov saved his most savage invective for Duddy, stating: "My opinion is that the club should not work anymore with agents like this because they start winding up the players. It does not benefit the club or the players. For the club it means that our only option is to put him on the transfer list.

"I am sad that this all emerged so late in the season. If that was the agent's intention why wasn't this made clear before the January transfer window and we could then have had a fair and open discussion? No-one would have stood in Webster's way if that was his choice. Instead, it feels like an unfair game with the club and I am saddened by this."

Webster was left out of Hearts' pre-season trip to the Republic of Ireland last summer after reportedly being unhappy the club had rebuffed an inquiry about his availability from Rangers.

Romanov appears genuinely determined to prevent his players joining either of the Old Firm clubs, but claims he would be happy to see any of them further their careers at clubs outside Scotland which he accepts are bigger than Hearts. "What I want at Hearts are players who are giving everything to the club," said Romanov, "not those who are looking over their shoulder at Rangers at a time when we are battling for the second Champions League spot.

"What I want is not to stop the players going, but to create the conditions for them to grow professionally and then move on if they have this ambition. Our aim is to build a system where the player leaves the club at the right time for the club and the player.

"It is a joy and pride to see my players progress to the super clubs. To reach this, both club and players should have fair relations and share one goal."

Taken from the Scotsman