Departing Skacel shows again why he personifies the Romanov project

A "SEE You Jimmy" wig crowned his head during Hearts' relief-soaked cup winning celebrations, yet afterwards Rudi Skacel remained silent when asked why he seems intent on saying "see you later" to a Hearts side for which he has regularly professed his undying love.

In finding the net twice at Hampden yesterday - in open play and during the penalty shoot-out - the striker was as instrumental as any player in helping the Tynecastle club lift the Scottish Cup for only the second time in 50 years.

On breaking the deadlock in the 40th minute, Skacel ripped off his jersey to reveal a black t-shirt with the handwritten message "I will never forget", underneath which had been scrawled "thanks Jambos". The parting nature of the wording was unmistakable. Skacel intends to pack his satchel.

"I wanted to say thanks to the supporters," he said afterwards. "This is probably my last game for Hearts. I've loved my time but I probably won't stay in the UK. It is very sad because I enjoy it here and I like this team. We have a fantastic dressing room, a fantastic support and I love the city.

"But I signed for George Burley and Simon Hunt and over the last four months things have happened. Everybody knows why I'm going. My friends all know why. I love the Jambos and now is not a good time to speak about problems.

"I'm 27 years old and I want to go for another European Cup and another World Cup. I've changed countries, languages and dressing rooms for each of the past three years. I want some stability and it is an emotional time for me."

In keeping with the idiosyncratic manner of events in the world of Vladimir Romanov, it emerged last week that the club would sell Skacel for around £1m the day after they announced they had bought out his contract from Marseille, at a cost reputed to be £780,000.

Skacel is the personification of the scintillating, scatty and sometimes sinister adventures in Gorgie this season. As with the entire Romanov project, there is much to admire and commend about him and much that is unappealing.

The diving, play-acting Skacel was thankfully not in evidence yesterday. He even stayed on his feet after he had clattered into Alan Main late in extra-time, a collision his team-mates were convinced should have earned a penalty.

The play-to-the-gallery performer was always going to show at Hampden, though. This season he has whipped up the crowd as if his life depended on turning out in maroon. The windmill arm movements started just before half-time but for once they were entirely forgivable as they followed a strike that demonstrated the goal poacher's instincts which have helped make these outrageously heady times for Hearts.

Yet Skacel's relationship with the club's Lithuanian owner never recovered from the moment when he reacted to the sacking of Burley by unveiling a t-shirt reading "for the gaffer" after scoring in the home win over Dunfermline on the October afternoon when Hearts lost their first head coach of the season.

One of Burley's first signings, there has been a strong correlation between Skacel's form and the club's results. The most astonishing aspect of the eight straight league wins with which Hearts opened the season - their best start to a campaign since 1914-15 - was that the Czech netted in every game. Until the turn of the year, he was the most potent Hearts attacker. In January his goal haul stood at 16. Not until yesterday did it move on to 17, however.

His form fragmented as Hearts became more erratic under Graham Rix. He drifted ever further to the fringes of games before eventually losing his place. When he was dropped to the bench, the hand of Romanov was suspected, amid rumours that Skacel's boots had grown to size 20s.

Yet there have also been questions marks over Skacel's psyche. He spat at Dundee United's Stuart Duff and a month later was guilty of the most toe-curling play-acting at Brockville Stadium. The came those accusations of spitting from Celtic's Neil Lennon earlier this month.

So sullied has Skacel's reputation become, and so out of sorts did he appear, that in some quarters yesterday's final was presented as the opportunity for him to redeem himself.

Skacel has gushed over the Gorgie club and its fans so often now, and in such unseemly fashion, that they have become inured to his overtures. To be able to leave with his head held high, he knew he had to come good, and be good, against Gretna, to remind the ' fans of why he was once so acclaimed.

But there was enough of the early Skacel on show yesterday for even his detractors to accept that he richly deserved his winners' medal and his partying.

Taken from the Scotsman