Free agent Michael Stewart begins search for new club and battle for unpaid wages

MICHAEL Stewart is a free agent and in search of a new club after ripping up his contract with Genclerbirligi over their non-payment of wages.

The former Hearts and Hibernian midfielder was injured shortly after joining the Turkish team last summer, and is seeking Fifa's help after they refused to pay him while he was on the sidelines. Now ready to resume training, Stewart is saddened that his stay in Turkey was short, but said he was sure that Kenny Miller would thrive there if he completes his move from Rangers to Bursaspor.

"It's disappointing I have had to resort to going down this route with taking the club to Fifa," Stewart said yesterday at Easter Road, where he was attending a Show Racism The Red Card conference.

"I loved the brief time I had out there. Unfortunately I had an operation on my ankle the week before the first game of the new season and things deteriorated from there with the relationship. I tried hard to make things work, but, in the end, the club steadfastly refused to honour the contract and pay my wages while I was injured.

"There were a lot of good people at the club - a lot of good lads, good staff. I really enjoyed it, but ultimately there was not too much I could do when they were taking that stance.

"Their argument was effectively because I was injured they didn't need to pay me. I said: 'I can understand it's difficult to keep shelling out money every month when I'm injured, but that's what contracts are for.'"

While he hopes to find a new club quickly, Stewart is aware that his dispute with his former employers could take a long time to resolve. However, he believes he has a cast-iron case, and is willing to fight for the money he is owed, having failed to persuade the Ankara club to reach an amicable solution.

"I exhausted all avenues in trying to resolve it, because I wanted to get it fixed and start playing," he said.

"I explained that, if I had accepted their suggestion that I didn't get paid for the first half of the season, I could play the next game and break my leg and be out for three months and would not get paid for another three months.

"Yesterday I sent over all the documentation and letters to the club to terminate the contract. I'm going to Fifa for the whole contract: they have broken the contract. That will take time to come to a head. In the meantime I need to get back playing football as quickly as possible."

Having been advised Genclerbirligi were reliable employers, Stewart was surprised by the turn events took.His experience has not given him a negative overall picture of Turkish football, however, and he predicted Miller could enjoy his stay there.

"I was comfortable going to this specific club because everyone I had spoken to said you're pretty much guaranteed to get your money there. The problem being is that I picked up an injury and to them it's almost as if all bets are off. Other guys didn't have other problems with being paid, but I picked up this injury and they decided to go down this route.

"You have to get the paperwork right, but I'm pretty sure Kenny's advisors will have that right. And then you sign a contract, but a contract is a contract, it doesn't matter what country you're in. You're governed by Fifa. I'm confident ultimately the contract will have to be offered.

"From Kenny's perspective he is going to one of the big clubs in the country and it's big, big money. I have got no doubt that there may be months when he does not get paid.

"It's standard over there - he might go two, three months late getting money. The chances are when you go to Turkey you'll come across one or two problems, but that's not to say you go out there and won't come across any problems at all.

"There is a lot of good money out there for people to earn. You hear a lot of horror stories out there of people not being paid, but, if you go out with the right intentions and you make sure the paperwork is kosher, then you go out and experience it. I enjoyed it for the limited time I was there.

"Kenny will do very well. I was a little bit surprised by the standard. I was expecting a bit better, to be honest."

After two spells with Hearts and one with Hibs, Stewart appears unlikely to recommence playing in his native Edinburgh. Aberdeen are one possibility, as they are looking for a central midfielder, but he has not even begun to assess his options.

"Not thought about it at all," he said. "It was literally yesterday that it was knocked on a head. It's moving things forward from now."