Jim Jefferies proposes Player of the Year award as fitting tribute to David Weir

"I know there will be two or three candidates, but for me he's got to be No1 choice for Player of the Year," Jefferies said yesterday. "Got to be.

"I don't think he's had it before, and it would be a fitting tribute for someone playing at the level he is and performing week in, week out. Sometimes he has been criticised for getting on a wee bit, but up in his head he's still ahead of everyone else."

Weir, whose team visit Tynecastle tomorrow, was in the Hearts side which won the Scottish Cup in 1998. But Jefferies recalled that he might never have become a Hearts player had a gentlemen's agreement with Walter Smith been formalised by the managers' clubs when Jefferies was at Falkirk.

"I told Walter to sign him way back. We met at the Westerwood Hotel and had discussions and we agreed a fee of around 300,000. He'd be worth millions in the same circumstances now.

"Walter said playing for Rangers was just a little bit different and could he handle it? I told him it wouldn't be a problem.

"So we shook hands on it, but it wasn't up to us. We just had a discussion about the player.

"Then the bold George Fulston (former Falkirk chairman] came in and we told him what had happened. So he set up a meeting with David Murray, and asked for double what we had agreed. The meeting lasted two minutes before he was back out of the door.

"In one way I was delighted even though I feared Davie might regret it. He could have played for Rangers a lot longer than he has.

"And I think if Walter has one regret, even though he has always said Davie has been one of his best ever signings, it would be not getting him in at that time. I'm sure he thinks that.

"Davie did great for me here when I took him from Falkirk. We got something like 250,000 for him (from Everton] because he was nearly out of contract and it was a sad day when he left.

"We paid 80,000 for him and it was a terrific piece of business. It was one of those buy one, get one free deals where someone went the other way.

"The man himself is just a fantastic person. He's the same person now who walked in the door at Falkirk all those years ago, but a better player. He's just a complete professional, and playing at the level he has for the age he is just proves that to me."

Having signed Weir twice Jefferies admits the defender is probably the best he has ever worked with in his long career and is of the belief he could have played for any club of his choosing.

"People ask you when you look back on your career who were the best players you worked with. It's very difficult, because you categorise it," said Jefferies

"Who was ever better than John Robertson at scoring goals? But he wasn't a defender or a midfielder.

"But if there was one player who came in late, went on to better himself, play for Scotland, and even down to just the type of person he is, he'd be the one you'd pick.

"If he was ten years younger I would say he was good enough to play in the top clubs in the Premiership. I don't think there would be any doubt about that.

"And that's a credit to him."

Jefferies rated Weir as Rangers' best player when they were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Dundee United on Wednesday night, and he expects the champions to be back at full strength tomorrow after they made a few chances for the Tannadice match.

"Maybe Walter had somebody watching us last week who said we played really well and maybe he was thinking he'd keep a few back for Saturday," he said. "They'll obviously try to go for the championship as quickly as possible."

After beating Hibernian last week, Jefferies' players have been challenged to reach the same standards tomorrow.

"We've got a game on Saturday against a team that has been very consistent and has shown great resilience," he said. "They have always been difficult to beat even when they're not at their best.

"It's (almost] another full house, I believe, so the atmosphere will be great. We have to go out and show the same application."

Marius Zaliukas could be back in defence for Hearts following a hamstring injury, but Jefferies still has a lengthy injury list to deal with.

Michael Stewart, Dawid Kucharski, Ismael Bouzid, Marian Kello and Jose Goncalves are all out, while Ian Black, Calum Elliot and Arvydas Novikovas are doubtful.

After getting the better of John Hughes last week in the derby, Jefferies offered some words of sympathy for the Hibs manager, who, like Weir, played for him at two clubs.

"John has done terrific," he added.

"A few weeks (ago] everybody was talking about them splitting the Old Firm. He said maybe two or three times that they (Hibs) will have a slide. John Hughes is the man to get them out of it."