Hibs rival trashed my car, claims Hearts hero

The Dutch striker, who spent three years at the Tynecastle club, lifted the lid on his experiences in the Capital in a frank interview with Dutch football magazine Voetbal International.

He said: "It started with the rivalry between Hearts and Hibs and that was something I didn't have any idea about.

"My car was vandalised a number of times. I suspect it was a Hibs player who did it. I will not say who it was, but it was one who I always had trouble with on the field.

"His parents lived near me, just round the corner."

The Dutchman established himself as a key figure in the rivalry between the two clubs when he scored four goals against Hibs in his first game in August 2002.

He said: "As it turned out, my first start for Hearts was against Hibs and I scored so I thought 'What a great home debut'. But then I put another three in their net. After that match, I couldn't do anything wrong with the Hearts fans.

"I am still given free beer from folk because of that match."

In the interview, de Vries also admitted blowing a fortune on drinking and partying during his time in Edinburgh.

He said: "I squandered a vast amount of money. At Hearts we had a regular party group of eight men. On Tuesday evening the Dunfermline players had their night out in Edinburgh and I joined them every week.

"My football never suffered because of my indulgences and I never drank the day before the match.

"Then on a Monday I thought we'd always get training for two-and-a-half hours without the ball. It's 11pm and the beer tastes great so it was full steam ahead until 4am.

"But the next morning at 9:30am I was the first man at the club. By night a man, by day a man, that's how I am.

"Unfortunately I know too many players who are by night a man, but by day are children. Problems here, pains there, those sort really make me angry.

"At Hearts we drank together and we performed together and I had two fantastic seasons there. I was 20, single, living my boyhood dream, earning so much money. Lots of people found me interesting and I was enjoying every minute."

But de Vries called time on his days at Tynecastle after the arrival of Vladimir Romanov.

He said: "The third and last season I had was strange as Hearts had been taken over by a rich Lithuanian and the whole atmosphere changed.

"There was unrest, bad performances and players who weren't sure of their future. Around the training fields there were strange men with sunglasses, fur collars and black gloves. They were like secret agents."