Hearts

If money was no object, who would you sign for your club?
Zidane. I could watch him all day: he is frightening. I saw a charity game the other day and he was pulling off all his tricks

Worst ground to play at? And why?
I prefer big grounds. At little grounds you can hear everyone

Which teammate has the strangest pre-game ritual?
Neil MacFarlane has strange stretching routines — but I won't go into that!

Best performance last season?
Celtic at home, when we won 2-1

And the worst?
The 4-0 Scottish Cup defeat by Falkirk. It was probably the kick we needed because after that we went on a great run.

What was your most memorable moment last season?
My first goal for the club against Partick; you won't see another one of them

And the funniest?
Phil Stamp went to cross a ball, kicked it with his left foot and fell over

The best individual performance against you last season?
Collin Samuel at Falkirk ripped us apart in the Scottish Cup

Which is the best set of away fans you have encountered?
I like the Celtic and the Hibs fans. I don't mind going to Easter Road: there is a good atmosphere and you take the banter

Favourite film to watch on bus?
We don't go far enough to watch any movie, but my favourite is The Green Mile

Which club provides the best/worst half-time cups of tea?
We don't get tea any more. Tom Ritchie, our fitness coach, stopped it. You'll have to ask the manager, he is the one who drinks the tea

Which musician would you choose to write and perform a new club song?
Bono, I am a big U2 fan

One thing you could change about the game?
I think Fifa play with the rules for the sake of it. Leave it the way it is

Hardest part of being a pro?
Things like pre-season training. But there are not too many negatives — you get paid for your hobby

One tip for aspiring footballers?
Players who work hard will go further

Describe manager Craig Levein in three words: Fair, motivational, appreciative

3 key questions that will decide this season

1 How many more rabbits in Craig Levein's hat?
One leading agent remarked last season how impressed he was at Levein constantly pulling "rabbits from the hat" in the Bosman market, citing the likes of Mark de Vries and Jean-Louis Valois. Getting it right every time is never straightforward, though, and Levein must hope his instincts are as sharp with his latest recruits, Dennis Wyness, Paul Hartley and Patrick Kisnorbo. De Vries and Valois must prove themselves for a second season as both faded after bright openings. But should they dazzle too much, Hearts might lose them

2 Will more players have to be sold to pay the bills?
Levein accepts that Hearts are a selling club, as they should be, but losing players can still be a disruptive business. It took him almost a year to replace goalkeeper Antti Niemi properly with Tepi Moilanen. Million-pound offers from Southampton are one thing and no matter for debate when it comes to selling, but what if more moderate sums are put forward for players Levein wants to keep? As Hearts' debts worsen, can they afford to turn down money for anybody? A decent bid from someone like Rangers for Steven Pressley would be one thing, but a lowish sum for, say, Alan Maybury, is quite another

3 Can they break the third-placed jinx?
You finish third in the Premierleague, you hit the glass ceiling and the next season you are mid-table with your ambitions shattered. In recent years, no club has managed two successive third-placed finishes. Even the Hearts team which pushed the Old Firm almost to the end in 1998 under Jim Jefferies were confronted with relegation concerns the following year. Levein's theory is that the club who have dipped have done so because of losing their best players. Having avoided that fate, at least since losing Niemi and Colin Cameron, Hearts could be the first to find the third way twice over

New arrival

Australia has been successfully sourced for players in the past, notably Rangers defender Craig Moore, and remains one of the few remaining viable overseas markets for Scottish clubs. Patrick Kisnorbo, the 22-year-old South Melbourne centre-half, comes with high recommendations. He might not be the new Moore, but even the new Kevin Muscat would represent a result for Hearts

Strongest XI

Gordon
Maybury
Pressley
Webster
Kisnorbo
Hartley
Severin
Stamp
Valois
De Vries
Wyness

The squad

1 Tepi Moilanen G
2 Alan Maybury D
3 Austin McCann D
4 Steven Pressley D
5 Kevin McKenna D
6 Andy Webster D
7 Scott Severin M
8 Phil Stamp M
9 Mark de Vries F
10 Andy Kirk F
11 Jean-Louis Valois M
12 Stephen Boyack M
13 Craig Gordon G
14 Neil MacFarlane M
15 Gary Wales F
16 Robbie Neilson D
17 Dennis Wyness F
18 Paul Hartley M
19 Stephen Simmons M
20 Patrick Kisnorbo D
21 Graham Weir F
22 Neil Janczyk M
23 Robert Sloan F
Manager: Craig Levein

Celebrity fan

Stephen Hendry, snooker player
The league is a two-horse race so all you can hope for is that your team is the best each-way bet. Third is what we have to aim for again, being the best of the rest under Craig Levein

Where are they now?

Fabien Leclercq: The Frenchman lasted only a year before joining Cannes. Now with Valance in his homeland's Second Division