Hearts turmoil weighed down Berra

10 February 2009 08:46
Berra, 24, was given the armband when Craig Gordon quit for Sunderland 18 months ago but left Gorgie last week in a £2.3million move to Molineux.[LNB]Speaking at Scotland's get-together at St Andrews, Berra tried to take some positives from the pressures and anxieties he endured in Edinburgh.[LNB]"I had a lot of ups and downs to deal with, but I feel I have come through it as a stronger person," he said.[LNB]"I think it will do me a lot of good in terms of my character.[LNB]"There are not many people who will have dealt with the things I've dealt with at Hearts and you learn from mistakes.[LNB]"I was 22 when I was made captain and the situation at the club got a lot worse after people like Steven Pressley, Paul Hartley and Craig left.[LNB]"There were times I thought 'Should I have taken this on?'[LNB]"But I had the armband at a big club and it helped me take a lot of responsibility. It made me a stronger person.[LNB]"Last season, the off-field stuff damaged us as a team. There was uncertainty over the management and coaching and it all had an effect on the squad.[LNB]"(Manager) Csaba Laszlo has come in and organised the boys and look how much better Hearts have done. I hope they get a European place, but sometimes it does feel like a weight off my shoulders.[LNB]"I am not the captain at Wolves so I can simply concentrate on my own job.[LNB]"I won't have to go to the manager's office after training and sort stuff out.[LNB]"There were always things needing arranging on behalf of the players.[LNB]"There were all the normal things a captain does and, at Hearts, it was maybe more difficult than it should have been.[LNB]"The media and the public knew there was a lot of uncertainty at the club, but I have learned from the whole experience."[LNB]The Edinburgh club, however, still hold a special place in his affections.[LNB]"I have a lot of feelings for Hearts," he said.[LNB]"Wolves are my priority now, of course, but after every game finishes I will be checking to see how Hearts fared.[LNB]"Laszlo has done a great job and I don't think Vladimir Romanov (majority shareholder) could have picked a better manager.[LNB]"I'm sure if he keeps doing the job he's doing then other clubs will look at him."[LNB][LNB]

Source: Team_Talk