Bryson ready to sign for Hearts

The midfielder, 23, revealed today that he wants to work under Jim Jefferies again but is powerless to accelerate negotiations between Hearts and his current employers, with whom he is contracted until 2012.

Hearts officials are keen to conclude the signing of Bryson before their players begin pre-season training on 7 July. Sergejus Fedotovas, the club's Lithuania-based director, is currently in negotiations with the Kilmarnock chairman Michael Johnston but both men have yet to agree on a valuation of the player. Bryson will not become embroiled in the discussions, however he acknowledged Hearts' interest as flattering and praised the influence Jefferies has exerted on his career since luring him to Rugby Park from Clyde in 2007.

"I enjoyed working under Jim Jefferies at Kilmarnock. He gave me my chance in the SPL and I would like to work under him again. If it happens now or another time, I would really enjoy it," he told the Evening News.

"I just got back from Australia the other day and I haven't heard anything more about the situation. Kilmarnock still don't know who their manager is going to be so I just don't know what is happening. I just need to wait and see if anything comes of Hearts' interest.

"I'm okay about the situation. I went on holiday not thinking or worrying about football. I'm back now so we'll see what happens in the next couple of weeks. It's not really up to me to put a valuation on myself. That's for the club." Recruiting Bryson would continue Hearts' policy of signing ambitious, and predominantly young, Scottish players.

Jefferies initiated the new approach by bringing Ryan Stevenson east from Ayr United in January and recent captures of Darren Barr and Kevin Kyle from Falkirk and Kilmarnock respectively have carried the process on, with Bryson and possibly other new faces to follow.

"There has been quite a lot of positive news recently and I'm glad we have been able to secure the services of Darren Barr and Kevin Kyle," said Fedotovas. "Obviously, we know the areas that we need to strengthen. We landed a striker recently and we know that we need to strengthen in the midfield now.

"(Kyle] is a very important signing and I need to say that we are discussing with a couple of, I would say, very good players at the moment.

"I hope that these discussions will finalise soon and we will be able to then add a midfield player over the next few weeks.

"Then we shall readdress the squad and see if there are other areas that we need to strengthen, and we will make a decision there if we need to add something else."

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