Hearts 'gave Gordon blank cheque to reject Celtic' - Romanov

Romanov: Czar of Hearts - listen to the bonus edition, From Russia With Love

Former Heart of Midlothian owner Vladimir Romanov has claimed he handed Craig Gordon a blank cheque to reject a move to Celtic before the "psychologically weak" Scotland goalkeeper's eventual record-breaking £9m transfer to Sunderland.

The revelation comes in the Russian businessman's first UK interview in more than a decade as part of BBC Scotland's Romanov: Czar of Hearts podcast series.

In the special bonus edition, From Russia With Love, Romanov revisits his claim that he was once offered the chance to buy Liverpool, repeats his belief that all Scottish referees support either Celtic or Rangers, and says George Burley walked away from the club rather than be sacked as manager.

He recalled the "revolution" inside the Hearts dressing-room in October 2006 when captain Steven Pressley, Paul Hartley and Gordon went public with the squad's unhappiness at the Lithuanian-based owner's methods.

Romanov claims the trio had previously been offered deals by Celtic and wanted to move to the Glasgow club along with manager Burley and two other players - Rudi Skacel and Roman Bednar.

Pressley and Hartley did eventually join Celtic, but Romanov claims he told Gordon: "Your contract is running out and I know Celtic has made you an offer, but you'll end up being their second-choice goalkeeper, not the first.

"If you stay and sign with us, I promise you'll play in the English league. He laughed, not taking me seriously. So, I said, 'If you don't believe me, here's a blank contract. Write down the amount you want.'

"Gordon wrote down a very large sum - something unheard of at Hearts and all of Scottish football. I looked at it, signed it, and handed it back. That's how we managed to keep him."

Romanov claims he had a buyer lined up for Gordon at the end of the season with "a rough valuation" in mind for the then 24-year-old.

"Gordon had incredible abilities, but he required a very careful approach," he said. "Psychologically, he was weak - if things didn't go well, he'd get physically sick, sometimes even vomit.

"He needed delicate handling. Despite all that, he was an exceptionally talented player. Ultimately, I sold him for £9m - at the time, it was the highest fee ever paid for a goalkeeper in Britain."

Hearts say Gordon, who returned to the club in 2020 after eventually joining Celtic, did not wish to comment on Romanov's claims.

Burley and Hearts "mutually agreed" to part ways in October 2005 despite the side sitting unbeaten at the top of the Scottish league table, but Romanov claims that "even a housewife" could have achieved those results "under my leadership".

He claimed that Burley "had a heavy drinking problem" and "ran away" when told he could stay in charge if he tackled that problem.

Burley's assistant at the time, Simon Hunt, disputed Romanov's claims about the manager's drinking.

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