When Hearts midfielder Saulius Mikoliunas thought he was heading for Barlinnie Prison

Roddy Forsyth

Some will be only too happy to see him head for the exit – like the Tartan Army, after his notorious dive to win Lithuania a penalty kick in the Euro 2008 qualifier against Scotland at Hampden Park in September 2007, which earned him a two-match ban from Uefa.

Rangers fans will probably join in the gleeful farewells, mindful that he was ordered off three times against their side.

The Hearts faithful, though, may harbour a few regrets. On his day, Miko could be a superb entertainer, the problem being that one could never be sure when exactly Miko's day would be.

On the other hand, he did add to the stuff of football legend after he was show two red cards by Hugh Dallas amid stormy scenes at the end of a Hearts v Rangers encounter at Tynecastle in March 2005.

Mikoliunas barged the assistant referee, Andy Davis, who had flagged for a penalty kick to the Ibrox side. As a consequence he was summoned to appear before the full majesty of the SFA disciplinary committee at Hampden Park and was driven to the meeting by Sergejus Fedotovas who, at that time, was Hearts' acting chief executive.

On the journey to Glasgow, Fedotovas noticed that Mikoliunas was silent and brooding but when the committee handed down an eight-game ban, the player almost threw himself across the table to shake hands vigorously with each member.

The explanation for this behaviour was revealed to Fedotovas when the pair got into the car for the return trip.

Some of the more compassionate members of the Hearts backroom staff had taken it upon themselves to advise Miko that to lay hands on a referee was a criminal offence in Scotland, punishable by mandatory time in Barlinnie Prison.

However, they softened this alarming prospect by assuring the appalled 20-year-old that the club would use its influence to have him transferred to Saughton Jail, where his team-mates would find it easier to visit on their way in and out of Tynecastle.

The committee members later professed themselves impressed at Mikoliunas's tearful outpourings of gratitude, unaware that what they took to be fulsome repentance was, in fact, gratitude that he was not being led off in manacles – as the backroom staff had thoughtfully told him would happen if he was found guilty.

Taken from telegraph.co.uk