Berra glad the chaos is over

HEARTS captain Christophe Berra insists the difference in the club he left to the one he rejoined could not be greater.

The Gorgie side were beset by off-field problems under then owner Vladimir Romanov’s ruinous reign when the defender left Tynecastle for Wolves in a £2.5 million switch in January 2009.

As skipper, Berra had the unenviable task of telling his team-mates they would not receive their wages on time. However, current owner Ann Budge has the club back on track with the help of supporters group the Foundation of Hearts.

And Berra, who returned to Hearts from Ipswich in May, insists the stability on and off the pitch is a far cry to what he left behind.

He said: “I was here when I was captain and we weren’t getting paid on time and I had to tell the players.

“At the time I was quite young so I didn’t maybe grasp how crucial it was for certain players. Lucky enough, in the back of my head I knew I would be moving at one point.

“When I look back now, it made me a stronger character.”

A symbol of the club’s progress under Budge is the ongoing construction of the new £12m main stand at Tynecastle.

The players will get a close-up view on the redevelopment when Ian Cathro’s side host English Premier League side Newcastle United in a friendly tomorrow night.

Berra added: “I’m looking forward to playing in front of the new stand.

“With the glass front it looks great and I’m sure opposition players will be looking forward to playing at Tynecastle but we have to make sure they don’t enjoy it on the pitch.”

Meanwhile, Cathro has denied being interested in Norwich City and Northern Ireland goalkeeper Michael McGovern.