BBC SPORT | SCOTLAND | Hearts release Jackson (original) (raw)

Former Scotland forward Darren Jackson has been released from his contract at Hearts.

The 34-year-old has been on loan to Division One leaders Livingston and will remain there until the end of the season.

Jackson scored 11 goals in 64 appearances for Hearts after Jim Jefferies paid �300,000 to sign him from Celtic in March 1999.

The former Hibernian and Newcastle United man's days at Tynecastle looked numbered when Jefferies banished him from the first-team because a clause in his contract would grant him an automatic extension to his contract should he play another game.

Surplus to requirements

He seemed poised to rejoin Dundee United until the problem was resolved when Jackson agreed to waive the agreement.

But Craig Levein succeeded Jefferies in December and quickly made it clear that Jackson, whose contract was to expire in the summer, was surplus to requirements.

While at Celtic during the 1997-98 season, he was sidelined for three months after major surgery was required to deal with the brain condition, hydrocephalus.

Jackson recovered to take his total of Scotland caps to 28 Scotland and was in the squad for the 1998 World Cup finals in France.

Meanwhile, Hearts midfielder Kenny Milne's season is over after it was decided he needed surgery on an injured ankle.