Source: Team_Talk
Hearts rule out Goncalves recall
New Jambos boss Jefferies defended his zero-tolerance policy with the wantaway 24-year-old, insisting he was not guilty of double standards by continuing to play captain Michael Stewart and striker Christian Nade, even though both are also free agents this summer.And despite the club's injury crisis deepening, especially in defence, Jefferies insisted he would not pick Goncalves on principle."Am I better to go for a player who wants to play for the club or somebody who convinces me that he doesn't want to be here?" said the visibly-irked Hearts boss, who takes his side to Celtic in the SPL on Wednesday night."If he walked in the door this morning and said 'I'll sign', he'd be in my plans tomorrow."Jefferies revealed he had yet to decide whether he wanted to keep Stewart and Nade, adding: "Other boys are out of contract but I've not made any decision about them."I've seen Jose Goncalves play and he's a good young player."I've had four meetings in two days and in those four meetings I'm sitting talking to Jose, looking at him, listening to him, getting the vibes that for some reason before I came here he refused the contract."Why does he not want to stay at the club? Because he's been made a great, great offer to stay at this football club."If he doesn't want to do that, it tells you he doesn't want to play."Jefferies added: "I saw some paper reports say he'd been offered less (money) - it's absolute nonsense."He has been made one fantastic offer to stay at this club, let me tell you that."Jefferies claimed even one of Goncalves' agents, former Hearts star Darren Jackson, could not believe the defender had rejected the contract on the table.And the Jambos boss - who was today hoping to tie up deals for long-time assistant Billy Brown and coach Gary Locke - has not given up hope of convincing Goncalves to sign on.He added: "I'm going to still try, while he's here, to do that and hopefully I can."If he wants to stay at Hearts Football Club, you should ask him the question 'Why are you not signing a really good deal to stay at the club?'."He's putting himself out the game, not Jim Jefferies."Goncalves has been repeatedly linked with a move to Celtic, revealing last year he was flattered by reports of their interest.Jefferies said: "Maybe the boy thinks he can get a hell of a lot more (money) elsewhere but why did somebody not come in for him in the transfer window?"Jefferies insisted the Goncalves situation was different to that of Paul Ritchie towards the end of his first spell in charge at Tynecastle.Ritchie eventually left for Rangers on a free transfer in the summer of 2000 after a spell on loan, but no transfer window was then in operation.Meanwhile, Jefferies gave his backing to under-fire Celtic boss Tony Mowbray and revealed he was looking forward to tackling loan star Robbie Keane.Also relishing the prospect is new signing Ryan Stevenson, who joined Hearts from Ayr on transfer deadline day.The former Chelsea trainee said: "I think what he's done for Scottish football in the past week has been unbelievable, the hype that surrounds him."Coming up here for the short term is only going to benefit Scottish football."Keane was upstaged by fellow new signing Chris Maguire on his debut at Kilmarnock last week.And asked if he could spoil the Republic of Ireland international's home bow tomorrow, Stevenson said: "I'm just trying to show the Hearts fans that the manager's made the right choice picking me."