BY ALAN TEMPLE – @CCP_Sport
JON DALY has launched an attack on the advisors of Jamie Walker after confirming that the want-away winger has been axed for Saturday’s Premiership opener at Celtic.
Hearts’ interim head coach has described the 24-year-old as ‘no use to anyone’ at the moment, acknowledging that he has been affected by the persistent interest from Rangers.
The Gers have seen three separate bids rejected for Walker, who is in the final year of his contract and has rejected an extension, with the most recent offer believed to be in the region of £600,000 with a staggered payment plan.
Confirming Walker’s absence this weekend, Daly said: “Jamie is a young lad, still just 24, and has a lot of football to play. I don’t think that the information he is getting from his agent and those types are helping.
“He needs to just take the focus off that and put it back on his football and, ultimately, that will get him where he wants to get to. That will get him playing at the level he wants to get to.
“At his best, he is 100 per cent a player I would want in my team, but he needs to be in the right frame of mind to help the team and impact games.
“He is a game changer and a match-winner but, that being said, when Jamie is in the headspace he is at the minute, he is no use to anyone and no use to himself.”
And Daly reckons Walker could be sabotaging a potential move south of the border or abroad, should Hearts hold firm and reject Rangers’ advances which, as yet, appear unlikely to match his £1 million price tag.
He added: “I have a very good relationship with Jamie and think very highly of him. If I was manager at another club and had £1 million in my pocket then I would go and buy Jamie Walker.
“He is not helping himself if nothing happens at Rangers, with other clubs that might be watching.
“I had a chat with him and it was along those lines, and I told him we would leave him out this weekend because he is not right.”
