Hearts put their faith in Pinilla with new contract

Published on Tuesday 6 May 2008 23:35

HEARTS striker Mauricio Pinilla has signed a new three-year contract with the club after a deal was struck to buy the Chilean outright from Inter Milan.

Despite admitting recently he was itching for a return to his homeland so he could be closer to his two-year old daughter Agustina, the internationalist has performed a U-turn and is now desperate to kick-start his Tynecastle career.

The 24-year-old, who is currently recovering from knee ligament damage he sustained in training in January, has been plagued by injuries since joining the club from Sporting Lisbon in summer 2006.

Pinilla has only managed eight appearances and scored two goals in two years at the club.

Hearts bought out Sporting's half stake in Pinilla when he made the move to Gorgie but are now believed to have struck a deal with Italian giants Inter to own the player exclusively.

The player's agent Hugo Rubio, who helped broker the deal which runs until summer 2011, said: "Mauricio has signed for another three years, he is happy and is looking forward to staying in Scotland."

Meanwhile, the frustrations suffered by Hearts caretaker manager Stevie Frail were evident after Monday night's 2-1 defeat at Falkirk. Frail has toiled manfully to keep Hearts on the rails this season, but the reasons behind the club's failure to reach the top six this season were apparent as the Tynecastle side went down at the Falkirk Stadium.

Frail says that meddling from the non-coaching staff at the club has a detrimental affect on the side.

Hearts said Frail would have full control of first team affairs when he was handed the role at the turn of the year but it appears that club owner Vladimir Romanov can't resist influencing the caretaker manager from afar.

Just last month, Frail backed Romanov over the adopted-Lithuanian's order not to play contract-rebel Anthony Basso.

However, in a brave move, Frail has gone public over his thoughts on the interloping by the club's powerbrokers.

He said: "Things have to change, not so much on the pitch; a lot of things happen off the pitch.

"There needs to be more of a focus and go for the same goal, right from the first day of pre-season; have no interference and have everyone pull in the same direction."

Frail is already looking ahead to the new season and identifying players.

He said: "To go with younger players next season you need to make sure you have quality and experience round about them.

"We need to make sure the ones that do come in enhance us, and there are good players out there who could do that and make us a better team."

SAINT COLLIN

ST JOHNSTONE have signed former Dundee United striker Collin Samuel on a two-year contract.

The Trinidad & Tobago international was allowed to leave Toronto FC last month and returns to Scotland a year after leaving United.

"Colin has been enjoying his time in Toronto, but his wife and family have been back here in Scotland and that has not been ideal and he has been keen to return to them," said St Johnstone manager Derek McInnes, who played alongside Samuel at Tannadice.

"When I found that out, I spoke with Mo Johnston who is the director of soccer at Toronto and moved quickly to bring him to Saints."