Vladimir Romanov has turned Hearts into a circus - I don't want to be part of it, says Ryan Stevenson

Dec 23 2011 by Keith Jackson

THE strain and anxiety on the face of his pregnant wife Hannah made his mind up for him.

In that instant, as the couple sat there in the hospital worried sick about the health of their unborn first child, suddenly Ryan Stevenson knew exactly what he had to do. He had to end his living hell at Hearts.

And so on Wednesday morning Stevenson reported to the club's Riccarton HQ for the final time to inform managing director David Southern and boss Paulo Sergio of his decision to effectively down tools and go on strike.

The 27-year-old has no intention of backing down, not even if it means going without pay and without a game for the final six months of the contract which owner Vladimir Romanov brazenly refuses to honour. Stevenson has had enough.

And yesterday, as he gave his side of the story in an extraordinary and heartfelt interview with Record Sport, he told how the club he once loved to play for is slowly being destroyed behind the scenes by Romanov's iron fist.

Stevenson said: "I love being a footballer and want to enjoy it every time I play. But in the past four months the enjoyment has gone out of it 100 per cent.

"I was happier at Ayr United earning £500 a week because I knew what my goal was. I wanted to better myself and reach a better club at a higher level to earn more money. But now I'm here and the place is a circus.

"At Hearts we should be looking to challenge Rangers and Celtic, do well in the league and win cups.

"But how can we think about that when we are being treated so badly on a daily basis? It's not just one week, it's been like this for four months.

"I'm out of contract in six months so had to ask myself, 'What happens if I play on Saturday and do my cruciate? Do I trust Hearts enough to pay for the medical procedure to save my career when I can't even trust them to pay my wages?'"

Stevenson had been asking himself these questions for weeks now, ever since the November pay packets didn't drop. Deep down he already knew the answers but, by his own admission, kept putting the big day off.

It was only when the health of his wife and child became affected that he knew he could stall no longer. In his own words he knew it was time to stand up and be a man. Even if it means his reputation in football is forever sullied.

He said: "I know I have left myself open to criticism. But I feel as if a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

"This isn't something I have done because they haven't paid me for a couple of weeks.

"This has been an accumulation of things. In fact, since I joined Hearts I can count on one hand the number of times I have been paid on time. It's ridiculous.

"The way I see it is I did my hard time at Ayr. I worked hard there just to try to get a decent move and thought I had achieved that when I went to Hearts.

"But now I'm 27, my wife is pregnant with our first child and I want to enjoy my life. I want to enjoy going into training every morning again.

"That stopped some time ago because all the boys are thinking about is when we are going to be paid.

"The club is a circus. It's a not a place you go into any more and think we're ready to push the Old Firm. Everything has fallen away and I don't want to be a part of it any more. Enough is enough.

"It's not that I don't want to play for Hearts. I love the fans and the club but the way it is being run is a scandal and I feel I have no option but to make it clear I want to leave.

"When I looked at my wife's face in that hospital I knew what I had to do."

Stevenson even kept his plan a secret from his own team-mates so none of them felt any under pressure to back him or follow his lead.

He added: "I didn't want to be seen as a rabble rouser. I didn't even talk it over with my agent because I didn't want anyone else blamed for my decision.

"It was all down to me and the first person who knew about was the chief executive yesterday. I then told the manager I felt I had no other option but not to come in.

"At first I did want us to act as a group. I felt we should all have signed the letter which came in from the SPFA and made a joint stance.

"But I can't blame anyone who didn't feel the same. Everybody's circumstances are different. Some boys have much longer contracts left at the club and have to look out for themselves. So I decided to act alone. I didn't mention it to the boys because I didn't want to ask them to follow me or be seen as an instigator.

"I'm doing this for myself because as a man I can no longer accept the way I am being treated.

"I'm lucky I am not under major stress financially. I could continue to live quite comfortably. But that would have been the wrong thing to do. I'd have been going against my principles.

"It's not about money, it's about pride. I feel better about myself to have taken a stand and am prepared to fight for what I believe in.

"Why should I allow myself to be treated in this way? They haven't even had the decency to sit us down as a group and explain the situation to us. They have treated us with contempt.

"The only guy who has tried to keep the players informed is the chief executive David Southern. I don't have a bad word to say about him but he is fighting a losing battle. He isn't being told what's happening.

"It's just not right. It annoyed me when they dropped £1000 into my account without even telling me it was coming. They just sent a text to say when it had been paid in.

"A thousand pounds? That didn't even cover my monthly car payments. It was just another insult and kick in the balls.

"But what p****s me off most is they don't even have the balls to tell me these things to my face. They have shown us no respect.

"What Hearts are doing here is almost becoming acceptable. People are not shocked any more when the wages are not paid on time. It's almost as if they are being allowed to get away with it.

"Well that wasn't for me. I couldn't do it any more and look at myself in the mirror."

Taken from the Daily Record