Goncalves: Row did not make me want to leave

Published on Monday 10 March 2008 09:36

PORTUGUESE defender Jose Goncalves today insisted he never considered quitting Hearts, despite his disciplinary row.

The 22-year-old former FC Thun player was dropped for the game against Inverness last month by interim head coach Stephen Frail after breaking club rules.

The player had stormed out of Tynecastle before the end of the previous match against Rangers in frustration at both his own performance and that of the team as a whole.

After being told that he would not be part of the squad for the match in Inverness, Goncalves was spotted at Edinburgh airport preparing to board a flight, prompting rumours that he was ready to walk out on the Jambos.

However he insisted that thought never crossed his mind and said: "I was always here, I never thought about leaving the club. I was just over in Switzerland for the weekend. I am glad to put it all behind me and, in truth, I was always fine. I took instructions from the manager and so I went home to relax and to visit my family.

"I was in Switzerland visiting my family last weekend and I was there again at the weekend there because we were given a few days off."

Branimir Kostadinov, meanwhile, could be on the verge of a move to Manchester City. The Bulgarian forward will spend two days training with the Premiership side, with the Blues having the option to extend his stint with them to a week if they are suitably impressed. Kostadinov, who has just turned 19, is expected to team up with the likes of Emile Mpenza, Micah Richards and Benjani when Sven Goran Eriksson's side report for training today.

The forward signed for Hearts from Linz in 2006. He made only a handful of appearances in the top team and none in competitive matches, scoring just once, against Cloppenburg during the club's pre-season tour of Germany.