Mikoliunas posed to quit Hearts in summer

SAULIUS MIKOLIUNAS has intimated a desire to leave Hearts next summer to seek fresh challenges for his footballing career.

The Lithuanian winger is currently recuperating in Vilnius after damaging knee ligaments at Love Street last month, but revealed that this season could be his last at Tynecastle.

He has spent almost four years in Edinburgh on loan from FBK Kaunas and came close to joining the Greek club Larissa during the summer. The deal collapsed as a fee could not be agreed with Vladimir Romanov, whose Ukio Bankas Investment Group finances both Kaunas and Hearts.

Mikoliunas said: "The conditions at Hearts are perfect. Edinburgh – wonderful city and the Scots are crazy for football. But I have stayed there four years, therefore I would like something new. Some new challenges."

The player admitted Scottish officialdom has been difficult to tolerate as he feels targeted by referees. "It looks like fans are starting to forget that (penalty] incident against Scotland but referees look at me through a magnifying glass. It is frustrating when you get booked for nothing but I just accept it."

Mikoliunas defended his decision to recover from injury in his homeland as opposed to Edinburgh. "I just think that there are many good doctors in Lithuania," he said. "Lithuanian national team doctors help me, I will have laser and other procedures here in Vilnius. It is more pleasant to heal in Lithuania. I will have more time to be with my parents, family, I will meet my friends. Usually I don't have enough time for this but now I will have."

Hearts confirmed yesterday that players' wages have finally been paid, however the squad are still without bonus payments for recent wins over St Mirren, Hamilton, Inverness, Falkirk and Rangers.

"As announced earlier, players' wages were processed on Friday and the money has reached their accounts this afternoon as agreed," Hearts said in a statement yesterday afternoon.

The club were handed the tie of the round yesterday in the fourth round of the Homecoming Scottish Cup as they were paired with city rivals Hibernian. The draw will mean back-to-back Edinburgh derbies in the first week of January – a league encounter at Tynecastle on January 3 and then the cup tie at Easter Road seven days later.

"We accept the draw and we'll be looking to get into the next round," said Csaba Laszlo, the Hearts manager. "It is a difficult tie, as derby matches always are but we will look forward to it. It is a big week for the teams and hopefully a good one for our fans. A big positive is there is not much travelling involved."

Captain Christophe Berra believes the pressure will fall entirely on Hibs' shoulders for the cup match. "It's funny what fate can do and it's going to be a massive seven days," he said.

"We have the league game at Tynecastle the weekend before so it's incredible to think that the first two matches of the New Year are going to be against Hibs.

"These matches are always one-off encounters but the pressure will be on Hibs as the home team. You have to beat the best teams to win the Scottish Cup and what better way to get into the next round than by beating our local rivals?"