Driver in no hurry to join transfer race

Andy Driver has added to the feel-good factor around Tynecastle by declaring he has no plans to exit the club during the current transfer window.

The 21-year-old winger has been the target of a host of clubs, mainly from England, with Everton the latest Premiership team to be linked with him late last week.

Oldham-born Driver, who is close to an England Under-21 call-up, is under contract at Hearts until the summer of 2013 and would command a transfer figure in the region of £1.5m.
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Burnley's rejected bid of £750,000 in the summer is the last serious approach for a player who admits he is happy to be part of manager Csaba Laszlo's plans until he is informed otherwise.

Driver said: "I won't be seeking a transfer. I've got a long contract with Hearts and I'm just happy winning games in a team that looks like it's going forward.

"Everyone always asks me about teams watching me, but I've never paid attention to it."

Meanwhile, Laszlo hopes his side's 2-0 Scottish Cup success over Hibs can act as a catalyst to resurrect their stuttering league form.

While Mixu Paatelainen, the manager of Hibs, remains angry at the controversial 30th-minute red card for Steven Fletcher - and didn't shake hands with Laszlo at the finish after a war of words between the managers pre-match - Hearts can reflect on a job well done as their neighbours' Scottish Cup hoodoo stretched to 108 years.

Laszlo felt his side showed more desire in the cup-tie than has been seen in recent SPL games, their out-of-sorts displays contributing to a winless five-game run in the league stretching back to the end of November.

Now the coach wants his fourth-placed side to regain their form in a bid to close the three-point gap to Dundee United in the race for Europe.

Laszlo said: "It was good to get through against Hibs as the derby was a very heavy game for us. But we deserved to go through and now we are in the next round against Falkirk.

"But we must concentrate on our next game at Kilmarnock in the league on Saturday, that is the most important one for us now. We can think about the cup again when the Falkirk game comes around, but we have important league matches to play before then.

"My aim of finishing in the top six has not altered and if we can achieve that then we can look at pushing on from there.

"Sunday's result will hopefully help us as it will give us confidence, but we have to try to be more consistent in the league."

Livingston manager Paul Hegarty wants to bring both Hearts striker Calum Elliot and Celtic midfielder Rocco Quinn back to the club on permanent deals.

Laszlo is keen to give Elliot another chance, while Quinn is training again with Gordon Strachan's men. But Hegarty wants both young Scots back to aid Livingston's promotion push Hamilton, meanwhile, have snapped up striker Jordan Love until the end of the season. The 18-year-old found his first-team chances restricted at Tynecastle and has opted for a short-term deal at New Douglas Park in a bid to make the breakthrough.

Taken from the Herald