Hearts boss: Kingston faces pay cut if he stays

ANY contract Hearts offer to their Ghanaian internationalist Larry Kingston will include "greatly reduced" terms as the club attempt to cut their wage bill, manager Jim Jefferies confirmed today.

Two high-earning players, Jose Goncalves and Christian Nade, bade farewell to Tynecastle following yesterday's season-ending encounter with Celtic. Club captain Michael Stewart, also out of contract, opted not to attend the match and instead flew to Turkey to hold talks with Genclerbirligi.

Kingston still harbours ambitions of signing an extension but is currently one of Hearts' highest paid players. Jefferies would be keen to have the midfielder in next season's squad but acknowledged he would have to accept less money to stay.

Kingston's representatives are due to convene with the Hearts hierarchy over the coming weeks to discuss the player's future.

"Larry's a different situation to others," said Jefferies. "He's come in and been fantastic for me and I think the fans will see I've got the best out of him. He's been playing really well in the middle of the park.

"I've said sometimes you have to let people go that you don't want to lose. Whether we can keep Larry will depend on a lot of things: work permits, terms, everything. We haven't got to the stage of discussing that yet.

"I'll have a wee word. I think we need time to assess the squad and find out what we can do. If it means we lose him, then he goes with our best wishes.

"If we feel he might want to stay, certainly it would be on terms that would be greatly reduced to what he is on. If he can't do that and he gets a better offer elsewhere then he goes with good wishes because he's been a terrific player since I've taken charge of him. He's shown that in his performances over the last three or four games."

Also leaving Hearts is the Australian teenager Rocky Visconte, who has signed a one-year deal with Brisbane Roar in his homeland after becoming surplus to requirements in Edinburgh.

"Visconte is an out-and-out left-sided player, he's quick and he's got a good left foot," said Ange Postecoglou, the Brisbane Roar coach. "He's had two or three years in Scotland and now really wants to break through. He's at that age where he is very, very keen to now make a name for himself. We are a good fit for him as a club because there is a position for him that I'm sure he'll be challenging for.

"He was a promising young player and by all reports he's developed well since then. I think it's a good time for him to come back."

• HEARTS midfielder Ryan Stevenson has breached the SFA's 18-point disciplinary threshold and incurred a one-game suspension for the start of next season.