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Fifers allow Pressley use of their training facilitiesMARTIN McMILLAN December 08 2006 Steven Pressley, has been using Dunfermline Athletic's training facilities in a bid to keep himself fit during his suspension from Tynecastle. The club captain has been told to stay away from Hearts' Riccarton training base after he was dropped following his decision to speak out about concerns over Vladimir Romanov's running of the club. Hearts dodged questions surrounding Pressley's future at the weekend when manager Valdas Ivanauskas, who has recently returned from sick leave, indicated a statement would be issued on Sunday or Monday – but still no explanation has been given. It is thought that Pressley may have played his final game for the club he has served for eight years and former managers George Burley (Southampton) and Craig Levein (Dundee United), are among those credited with an interest should he be freed. Despite recently telling supporters that Pressley was the "cement" holding the club together, Romanov's relationship with a player he has also tried to entice into a coaching role with the club has hit rock bottom. With the players' union, the Scottish Professional Footballers Association watching developments and considering legal action because of the club's failure to offer the player training facilities, Pressley's suspension can run for a maximum of four weeks under current SPL rules. Meanwhile, Hearts have been linked with a possible loan move for the brother of Arsenal midfielder, Alexander Hleb, in the January transfer window. Vyacheslav Hleb, a Belarussian internationalist who plays for MTZ-Ripo, a club in which Romanov has a financial interest and to where Eduard Malofeev has been sent following his spell as caretaker, is interesting the club. Reports in Belarus indicate Hleb, a 23-year-old midfielder, is poised to join the Tynecastle outfit in the New Year. Declan Devine, Dunfermline's new first-team coach, insists he has followed manager Stephen Kenny to East End Park because he believes that they can transform the club's fortunes. The Irishman was introduced to the players yesterday following his arrival from Derry City where he worked under Kenny. The duo formed a successful partnership in Ireland bringing silverware to Derry, and Devine is hoping they can repeat the trick in Fife, with the help of assistant manager Craig Robertson. He said: "I am looking forward to it, I had my first training session on Thursday for an hour or so and I met Craig, who is a nice, genuine man. It is early stages yet, but before I came here I believed we could succeed in what we are trying to do." Despite being only 33 years old, Devine is not a newcomer to the coaching scene after having to retire from professional football at the age of 26 due to a cruciate knee injury sustained during his time at Ipswich Town. He added: "I actually started doing my coaching badges when I was 19 at Ipswich Town. I moved to Derry five years ago as first-team coach, then Stephen came in and I worked under him, and it has snowballed from there." The Fifers, meanwhile, are leading the chase to sign Shelbourne defender Colin Hawkins, a tough-tackling centre-back who is regarded as one of the top players in the eircom League. Kenny is set to return to his homeland in a bid to shore up a defence which has already conceded 31 goals this term.   Taken from the Herald |
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