DEANS: A JACKPOT'S ON CARDS

LESLIE DEANS is not a big drinker but he enjoyed a couple of glasses of champagne as his beloved Hearts clinched a place in the Champions League.

The toast was Vladimir Romanov and former chairman Deans believes his Tynecastle takeover paved the way for the Jambos to earn big bucks.

Deans said: "Hearts have been handed a key to the golden door of Champions League riches and we just need to go and kick it in.

"New players will come in on good contracts and if they reach the group stage the right draw could take them to the knockout phase. Then you could be talking in terms of £12million, a substantial sum of money."

Deans believes this success is one in the eye for the snipers who tried to discredit the new owner. He said: "There has been a lot of ill-informed comment regarding Vladimir.

"Some of the distasteful stuff written about him bordered on the xenophobic but this has vindicated everything he has done with Hearts.

"Remember, two-and-a-half years ago I was desperately trying to find a buyer for Hearts because Chris Robinson and the other directors were hell bent on selling Tynecastle to Cala Homes and the club was going down the tubes."

Taken from the Daily Record