Richard Winton reports as Hearts announce they have parted company with Steven Pressley

IT is just a fortnight since Vladimir Romanov decreed him "the cement of the team" but this morning, Steven Pressley's eight-year stint as a Hearts player is officially over.

A statement released on the club website last night confirmed that the Tynecastle side and their erstwhile captain had reached an "amicable agreement" to part company with immediate effect. His departure comes at the end of a week of speculation sparked by the admission that the Scotland international was dropped from the squad for last weekend's encounter with St Mirren and suspended by his employers for, as of yet, undisclosed reasons.

The announcement was posted on the site after the end of the post-match media conference following yesterday's 4-1 victory over Motherwell, its timing clearly designed to prevent representatives of the club being questioned about its content. Indeed, the statement itself offered little more than bland platitudes from both Pressley and coach Valdas Ivanauskas, much in keeping with the Edinburgh club's persistent obstructiveness in communications with their supporters.

"I have enjoyed my time at Tynecastle enormously and will be sad to leave the club," the 33-year-old defender is quoted as saying. "Particularly, I would like to thank the fans for their support during my time at the club. I wish the club, the management, and my fellow players, the coaches and the fans every success in the future."

The words that were attributed to Ivanauskas were equally as guarded. "It has been a difficult few weeks for both the club and Steven. We recognise the tremendous contribution that Steven has made both as a player and as captain at Tynecastle over the years and we wish him all the best for the future."

What the coming months hold for Pressley remain a matter of conjecture. A move to Dundee United, where he would link up with former manager Craig Levein, has been mooted, although a string of potentially more attractive propositions - both financially and from a footballing viewpoint - have been rumoured, with Sunderland the latest to be linked. Regardless, Pressley will not be eligible to play for any new employer before the opening of the transfer window in January.

SPFA secretary Fraser Wishart, who has been advising the player during the past few weeks, believes that the matter has now drawn to a natural conclusion and an enormous burden has been lifted.

"I don't think we'll hear anything more from Steven on this matter," Wishart said. "He feels enough has been said. It is a relief from the pressure of the past five or six weeks. He wants to get on with his life and his career and find a new club."

Given that Hearts had a different captain for the fifth consecutive match yesterday, the recipient of the armband on a permanent basis is also unclear. Craig Gordon was awarded the poisoned chalice yesterday, following Pressley, Christophe Berra - who was dropped from the squad yesterday - the suspended Paul Hartley, and Robbie Neilson, who was on the bench.

Ivanauskas, while unwilling to be drawn on the situation regarding Pressley post-match, did admit that his next captain will be Scottish. "They are players in the national team and it is important for both the club and the supporters to have a Scottish captain."