Bouzid's been left in limbo at Hearts

ISMAEL BOUZID is unsure whether his future lies with Hearts next season despite his contract running until June 2011. Whilst underlining his contentment with life in Edinburgh, the amiable centre-back said his position would not become clear until his representatives consult the Tynecastle hierarchy.

Manager Jim Jefferies is busy formulating plans for next season and has yet to inform Bouzid whether he will be involved. The 26-year-old will seek discussions with both Jefferies and Hearts director Sergejus Fedotovas through his management agency, Grass Is Green.

He would have no qualms about seeking alternative employment should he be deemed surplus to requirements by Hearts. However, he harbours genuine affection for the club and is looking forward to next season after finally adapting to Scottish life.

"The start was not easy for me because my English was so bad," explained Bouzid. "Now I can speak better and this helps me. I have my home and my wife here and everything is better now. I am looking forward to starting next year. The first year is never easy but it will be good for me at the beginning of next season. The situation is more comfortable for me now.

"I try to do my best and to help the young players. If you are young, you don't need too much help. Only a little bit. For me, the young players here have all the quality to be good players. They can help themselves and the club.

"I have a contract for one more year and I don't know what will happen. I need to speak with the club first. I wait for them. I need to speak with Sergey or someone to know what is happening with me.

"If he doesn't want me next year, okay, I will try to move. If he needs me for next year, I will stay one more year. I have not spoken with the coach.

"He told me when to come back for pre-season training but I did not speak any more with him. Maybe I will try to speak with him in the next (few] days, with my manager and my agent. We will see what happens next year."

Bouzid has just completed arguably the most consistent campaign of his career after 30 domestic appearances.

However, his reputation as a nomadic footballer will concern those who view him as a potential cornerstone of Hearts' future. Since turning professional aged 18 he has represented eight different clubs, moving at least once every year since summer 2004. He graduated from the youth academy at Metz in 2002 before joining Union Berlin, MC Algiers, Kaiserslautern, Galatasaray, Troyes, Ankaragucu and finally Hearts last summer.

A Turkish Superleague championship success with Galatasaray in 2008 remains his most notable achievement given he was overlooked for Algeria's World Cup squad last week. Rabah Saadane, the Algerian national coach, left Bouzid out of a 25-man provisional pool for South Africa having generally shown little interest in the defender since he joined Hearts.

That could prompt him to consider whether playing in a more high-profile league than the SPL would aid his international aspirations, but for now he will wait for a verdict from the Tynecastle board. "I don't know if there will be big chances but this is not my job. This is for the president and the coach," said Bouzid.

He is nothing if not optimistic about Hearts' future, regardless of whether he will be involved. The turbulence of a mid-season managerial change is now over and burgeoning talent continues to spill out of Riccarton at a seemingly uncontrollable rate. Most of the club's home-grown youngsters earned first-team recognition in the season just ended and Bouzid was most impressed by the skills of winger David Templeton.

He expects Templeton and several of his counterparts to have a major impact on next season's first team with Jefferies by now fully aware of who can reach the standards he demands.

"The situation was not easy during the season. It's never easy if you are new at the club and for the players it is not easy," said Bouzid. "I think it's okay now and for the future a lot of young players will have the chance to play now. These boys can play very well and be even better next season. People like Templeton were getting a lot of experience during the last few games and I'm sure next season can be very nice.

"We tried to give a victory for the fans against Celtic on Sunday in the last match. We did our best and we are not happy with the result. Our game was good and we enjoyed our performance because the quality was good. Losing is not good for the fans but the performance was okay and this is positive for the future. A lot of players showed quality, especially some young players, and this is good for the club.

"I think we can be better in the league next season and be in first position. Why not? We showed good quality at times this season and if we can have the consistency and stability all year next year, we can do something. This season we showed we can play very well against Celtic, Rangers and Hibs. You must believe in yourself and your team, and I believe."

The strength of Bouzid's conviction will be in his next step. He could head for pastures new and secure Hearts a transfer fee. But if he truly believes a title challenge may be in the offing, he will endeavour to stick around.