DISGRACELAND

STEVEN Pressley walked out on Hearts yesterday after uncovering a plot to oust him as club captain.

The Scotland defender was left mentally shattered as his high-profile stance against club owner Vladimir Romanov finally took its toll.

Pressley left the team hotel near Edinburgh Airport before the game against Falkirk and it's believed behind-the-scenes plotting was the final straw. It's understood several first-team squad members, almost certainly the Lithuanian contingent, were approached by a member of Romanov's inner circle and asked to pass a vote of no-confidence in their skipper.

It was allegedly to be made in reaction to Pressley's dramatic statement of a fortnight ago in which he severely criticised Romanov's running of the club.

Proud Pressley, believing his position to be severely compromised, decided he was in no fit state emotionally to play against the Bairns in a match which finished 1-1.

It's unclear if the orders were carried out and even if Romanov himself was aware of the plot. It's also uncertain if Pressley will play for Hearts again as friends say he has become increasingly dispirited.

The demands of holding together a fractured dressing room have finally told on the fans' favourite and he is now paying the ultimate price for his brave stance against Romanov, which was backed by most members of the first team squad at Tynecastle but, significantly, not all.

Paul Hartley was also surprisingly dropped to the bench last night after stand-in boss Eduard Malofeev slated his performance against Hibs in the CIS Cup last week - even though the midfielder was played out of position. The future of Hartley, who stood shoulder to shoulder as Pressley made his dramatic statement at Riccarton, is now also in doubt.

Craig Gordon, who also supported his team-mates as they delivered a stinging rebuke of their paymaster, insists Pressley will remain as captain.

He said: "I absolutely believe Steven is still captain of the club, as he has been for a number of years. I don't see anyone in the dressing room to match him. I hope he still enjoys the support of the dressing room.

"The vast majority of players, if not every single one of them, would back him as he has always battled their corner and put the interests of the players first.

"Of course he has a future at Hearts. He's the captain, an international player and the club cannot afford to lose players such as him. I'm sure he'll be back into the reckoning soon enough. He's a big miss because he's such a massive player for us.

"He wants to give everything to our support, as we all do. I saw Elvis today and spoke with him . He's 100 per cent behind the players and wanted us to get a result.

"This is an upsetting time for him and his family. You don't like to see this happen to anyone, but he's one of the strongest characters I know."

Taken from the Daily Record