Berra expects club to accept sizeable offer for his services

HEARTS skipper Christope Berra is playing a waiting game as he prepares for a critical week for his club. On Saturday, Hearts begin a spell where high-profile clashes against Hibs bookend a rearranged league fixture with Motherwell, but another significant date in the calendar could be the opening of the transfer window on Thursday.

Berra, like many Hearts players, has been subject to speculation over his future, with Rangers one club among many known to be interested.

"There have been a lot of things said," said Berra, 23. "But I am a Heart of Midlothian player now and will always do my best when I play for Hearts. But it is not down to me. If someone comes in and makes an offer the club cannot refuse then I am sure they will let me go. But at the moment I play with Hearts."

Berra admitted his display in Hearts' 1-0 defeat to Aberdeen on Saturday might not have impressed potential suitors. "I don't think for me personally it's been my best game," he said. "After my first yellow I was scared to make a challenge. It does affect you, especially if you are a defender.

"I have ambitions to go on to greater and better things," he continued. "Hearts are a great club but I have been here for many years, and played regularly for three seasons. I have learned a lot. But I am a young boy just now and have ambitions. I will always work hard. I will go home now and speak to my dad and the manager and see where I can improve.

"People won't be put off by one game – they analyse 20 or 30 games. Touch wood, (a move] will happen one day. But until then I want to play every game (for Hearts]."

Meanwhile, Hearts have formally announced that Inverness midfielder Ian Black has signed a pre-contract agreement to join the club at the end of this season.

The 23-year-old told Hearts' website: "I am naturally delighted to be joining Hearts. My main focus will be working hard to establish myself in Hearts' midfield."

Club manager Csaba Laszlo was delighted to welcome Black to Tynecastle. "Ian is an excellent example of our aim to bring the best young Scottish players to Hearts in order that both the club and the players will grow," he said. "We will continue to target those that are keen to truly develop their full potential.

"As can be seen by the wealth of interest in some of our current home-developed players, we're a club that will allow young Scottish players to flourish, providing their attitude and ambition matches that of this club."

• Eugenijus Riabovas, the Lithuanian coach who looked set to take over at Hearts two years ago, has been appointed coach of Vladimir Romanov's Lithuanian club FBK Kaunas.

Although Kaunas sprang a major surprise by knocking Rangers out of the Champions League this season, and won the Lithuanian Cup and the Baltic League, they could only finish runners-up in the domestic league. Manager Andrei Zygmantovic has now been relieved of his position, and has been replaced by Riabovas, who first worked for Romanov in 2006 when he replaced Eduard Malofeev as Kaunas head coach.

Taken from the Scotsman