HEARTS captain Christophe Berra insists he is happy to stay at Tynecastle following the appointment of Csaba Laszlo as manager.
Berra looked like he may have been on his way out of Edinburgh when Wolves launched a £1.5million bid to sign the defender early in the close season, but Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has now declared his interest is over after Hearts said he was not
for sale.
The 23-year-old defender is now looking forward to the season ahead with Hearts after being encouraged by his first impressions of Laszlo, the former Ferencvaros and Uganda manager.
"The new manager has laid down his guidelines," said Berra. "I have been impressed with him and am looking forward to the season starting. He hasn't been here long but he knows how he wants us to play, how he wants us to work and he's also high on discipline and work ethic. I've got a good feeling about the appointment. I have been impressed with him and I'm sure he can help improve me as an individual and take the team forward."
Berra, who has also been linked with Celtic and Rangers, added: "There has been a lot of paper talk but I am happy here just now. I want to win things and be successful but on a personal level I need to look after myself and want to keep improving.
"If I make mistakes, I want to be guided in the right direction as to how to improve on my weaknesses and hopefully the new manager can do that. I am happy in Edinburgh with Hearts and the fact we have a manager in place working on the team on a daily basis is a big factor for me. The early signs look good."
Berra missed Monday night's Umbro Cup game against Glentoran in Belfast, which Hearts lost on penalties after a 1-1 draw, but hopes to return for tonight's pre-season friendly against Dunfermline at East End Park. "I have done all the hard work through the first few weeks of pre-season but hurt my ankle a few days ago in training," said the Scotland international. "I'll just have to give it a bit of a rest and can get back into things shortly. I hope to be able to be involved against Dunfermline tomorrow, but I'll just have to wait and see how things go."
Wolves manager McCarthy, below, has now admitted defeat in his attempt to lure Berra to Molineux. He said: "I'm still hopeful of getting another (player]. We had a bid in for Berra but that deal is dead. It won't be done at all. Hearts are saying he won't be going anywhere so I've moved on. There are no other bids in. For the moment, the deal is dead as far as I'm concerned and we're looking elsewhere. Who we get, I don't know. It might be that someone comes from completely out of the blue from somewhere which has never been mentioned."
It had been suggested Berra would initiate a move away from Gorgie by handing in a transfer request, but it is understood the highly-rated centre-half is not considering such an option. Berra was one of the first players to be introduced to Laszlo following his appointment and was impressed with his vision for Hearts.
Meanwhile, Laszlo was largely satisfied with his new team's display in his first game in Belfast on Monday. However, the Romanian-born Hungarian is looking to bring in "two or three" new signings before the SPL season begins.
"After ten minutes, you see positions where you have a weakness, where the team doesn't move correctly," he said. "After ten minutes, you see directly whether the players have confidence or not, whether they want the ball or want to take a step back because they don't like to make a mistake. We have a very big squad, but I think it's necessary in two or three positions to get players with experience."
The Hearts manager also aims to ensure his new side become the top team in Edinburgh by virtue of an improved work ethic. "Nobody sleeps in professional football," he said. "We must work harder, maybe be more concentrated. If the team is spending eight hours at the training ground just now, then we must spend ten hours there. This is just what we must do.
"I have a German and Hungarian background, I can mix creativity with discipline and innovation. In this job you have pressure in every game. Hearts is the oldest team in Edinburgh and firstly we must be number one in Edinburgh. The second wish I have for this season is to get back into European football."
The full article contains 799 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
