Rangers administration: Sympathy for Gregg Wylde after he ends own Ibrox career

HEARTS winger David Templeton says he is not surprised that the current uncertainty at Rangers is taking its toll on the players.

Speaking after his friend Gregg Wylde revealed that he had been kept awake at night by the administration saga and the threat of significant redundancies at the club, he said the fact that the youngster had instigated the termination of his own contract in the hope that it would safeguard non-playing staff with families to support illustrated just how devastating the situation is for everyone involved.

“I know Gregg and it’s disappointing to see what has happened. I don’t know exactly what has gone on with him but I will speak to him later and see how he is but I am sure he will get a club. That won’t be a problem because he is a good player. I know him through football and seeing him about Glasgow and now we phone and text and we became good friends.

“That’s just the way he is, he’s just a nice guy and he is obviously thinking about others instead of himself so it’s nice to hear that that’s the way he left; thinking about the people behind the scenes that you don’t see. But that’s just the way Gregg is, he’s a nice lad.”

The Tynecastle squad have had to endure cash problems of their own this season, eventually enlisting the intervention of the SPL after their wages were paid late month after month but Templeton says that now pales when compared to the ongoing crisis as the Old Firm club.

“I think it has been on his mind and what is going on there is not nice and I think everybody there will be thinking about it. I know the stuff that went on here wasn’t nice for us but that’s nothing compared to what’s happening there, so I can’t even imagine what they are going through.”

With Bolton one of the clubs recently credited with an interest in 20-year-old Wylde, Templeton believes it won’t be too long before his pal is signed back to the professional ranks, though. “He is a good player, he is still young, could still learn a lot and you could see when he was playing, he was doing well and creating goals and I’m sure a club will definitely take him. I’m not sure if he will go south or stay up here but hopefully he gets somewhere soon.”

Templeton was cited as a possible signing target for the Ibrox club in recent transfer windows but he says he is now relieved that the rumours amounted to nothing. “I wasn’t bothered at the time because no offer was made and I couldn’t say anything until there was an offer and Hearts accepted, so I was always just concentrating on Hearts. I never really thought about it but when they went into administration I was kind of glad that nothing had happened because I wouldn’t like to be in that position, the position the players are in just now.”

Hearts’ Young Player of the Year last season, who was yesterday publicising the launch of this season’s awards which will take place at Tynecastle on 7 April and will be voted for by fans on the club’s youth development website, was in amongst the away support at Ibrox last weekend as the Gorgie club beat Rangers 2-1. Out injured, since aggravating a groin problem against Motherwell last month, he said it was galling to miss out on playing in the match and added that he and would hate to see an SPL fixture list for next season without games against Rangers to look forward to.

In the meantime he can only rely on his team-mates to ensure he has some juicy fixtures to look forward to once his rehabilitation is complete. This weekend they take on St Mirren with a Scottish Cup semi-final place up for grabs. “Obviously I’m missing Saturday and then the derby which are two massive games so it is disappointing from my end but hopefully they can get the result on Saturday and that will give me a semi-final to aim for and look forward to. After Saturday’s win, I’m sure they will go into this one buzzing and everyone will be up for it.”

Templeton admits that the current injury has simply added to his frustrations this term. Lauded as one of the brightest youngsters in the country last season, the difficult has been developing his game further. “If you are playing well people expect you to play like that every week, create chances or score goals and it is part and parcel of football. There is disappointment when I don’t play well, I know that myself.

“I have been quite inconsistent and at the start of the season, that’s what I was looking to improve on because it was quite similar the season before so it has been frustrating and disappointing that way because some weeks I have played well and then the following week I’ve not been involved as much and it has been quite disappointing and obviously now the injury has not really helped.

“Hopefully when I get over this I will be buzzing to get back in there and get back to putting on good performances. But I have still got to work on my game. I’ve got to vary it up still; know when to pass, when to dribble. It’s decision-making; I’ve still got to work on that. I’m still quite young so there’s still plenty time to get better and I’m learning every day in training and the manager is always speaking to me and helping me and telling me what to do.”