Hearts legend Stephane Adam branded ex-Hibs striker Tam McManus a “clown” on Twitter.

McManus was critical of Ann Budge in March after the Tynecastle chair asked players to take a wage cut, claiming he would “tell the club to f*** off” if he was asked to take a 50 per cent reduction in wages.

He said at the time: "Seems a convenient way to dump some ‘excess baggage’ ie a HUGE wage bill run up by a succession of managers. This just doesn’t sit well with me at all.

Stephane Adam had his say on Tam McManus' tweets. Picture: SNS

"You sign a contract you honour it or pay it off in full. My loyalty is to myself/family. No loyalty whatsoever in football. Clubs treat players like s***e when not wanted."

The player-turned-pundit has faced a lot of questions from Hearts fans in recent days following the news that both Hibs and Aberdeen have entered talks with players over wage cuts.

Both clubs have assessed the situation in Scottish football and how it will continue to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions on supporters being able to return to grounds.

“Feel sorry for Partick Thistle & Falkirk,” McManus tweeted. “I feel those two teams have been the hardest done by in this.

Tam McManus in action for Hibs in the Edinburgh derby. Picture: SNS

“Any sympathy I had for Hearts (s***e for 30+games) is slowly evaporating due to their goading fans who are now delighted other clubs are cutting wages & making people redundant.

“And if Ann Budge was the visionary most Hearts fans seem to think she now is (threatening to bullet people if they didn’t take wage cuts a week after the season finished) she would have binned the fraud of a manager she had at least 2 months before she did.”

He added: “Hearts ‘pre empted’ nothing. They had a grossly overpaid squad of players & coaches that immediately they couldn’t afford to pay. If you believe that Ann Budge seen no fans potentially in 2020 in the last week in March/1st week in April then you believe in Santa Claus. B*****ks.”

Adam, who netted the second in Hearts 2-1 win over Rangers to win the 1998 Scottish Cup, made his feelings known in a short response.

He tweeted: “What a clown you are!!”

Hearts legend brands Tam McManus a 'clown' as ex-Hibs forward questions Ann Budge