Hearts seek to strengthen their Ghana links

HEARTS are pressing ahead with plans to form links with clubs in Ghana, with businessman France Doe Johnny having held talks with chief executive Chris Robinson over the weekend.

The Tynecastle club hope to establish connections with sides in Africa in the hope of bringing some of the continent?s most promising youngsters to Gorgie.

Doe Johnny, who is a patron of the top Ghanaian side Hearts Of Oak, attended Hearts? draw with Aberdeen on Saturday. He was shown around their new training complex at Riccarton and met with Robinson and finance director Stewart Fraser to discuss the proposal.

Chairman George Foulkes, who initiated the plan and has also held talks with politicians in Thailand with a view to setting up similar links in the Far East, said: "Frances was very impressed by the set up. But it is too early to say how he will go about trying to take it forward."

Across the capital at Easter Road, Hibs club captain Ian Murray returned to training with the first-team squad yesterday for the first time this season. Murray, 23, has had to endure three operations during nine months on the sidelines.