Hearts legend Jim Jefferies reveals the eye-watering wages being offered which 'put the club in administration'

Jim Jefferies went from a wage budget of £1.2million at Kilmarnock to £9million at Tynecastle

Ex-Hearts boss Jim Jefferies has revealed the significant contracts being offered by the club under Vladimir Romanov which he believes put the club into administration.

The 1998 cup-winning manager took charge at Tynecastle for the second time in 2010 under the Russian-born Lithuanian businessman.

He arrived at a time when the club’s wage budget was, he claims, £9million, having previously been working with around £1.2million at Kilmarnock.

Jim Jefferies was astounded by the Hearts wage bill when he returned to the club under Vladimir Romanov. Picture: SNS

It was when dealing with a new contract for defender Jose Goncalves, one of his first tasks, that Jefferies got a taste of the eye-watering sums of money being offered to players.

He told Si Ferry in the Open Goal interview: “When I went to Kilmarnock it was £3.5million which was huge. I got it down to £1.2million, never above £1.3million. So that tells you that there were a lot of big earners there.

“So I come here and Campbell Ogilvie (the club’s former managing director) says ‘I’ll steer you through the muddy waters’. That was his opening line to me and I know Campbell well from his Rangers days.

“He says ‘what was your wage bill at Kilmarnock’? Well, £1.2million, £1.25million.

Jose Goncalves was given a huge contract offer. Picture: SNS

“I say ‘what is it here?’ He says ‘£9million’.

“£9million?!

“My first task was to try and convince (Jose) Goncalves to stay. They were negotiating with him at £8,000-a-week plus £2,000 appearance. He wanted £2,000 appearance, but they offered £1,000. But he stuck it out, he didn’t want £1,000, he wanted £2,000.

“Mr Romanov wouldn’t be beat. That was the one thing about him, he wouldn’t like the player to win.

“I was dealing with players at £1,000, £500. He (Goncalves) wasn’t the highest, by a long shot. That’s what put the club into administration. That’s the problem.”

Goncalves was eventually frozen out while his future was in the air before being brought back into the team, but would leave in the summer of 2010.