By Alan G
September 4 2006

Andy Webster is in contention to make his Latics debut at Portsmouth at the weekend after FIFA ratified the transfer deal between Wigan Athletic and Heart of Midlothian.

“I am relieved this issue is now almost resolved," said Latics manager Paul Jewell. "It has taken many long hours of negotiation for Andrew to become a player at this club, but I'm convinced all the hard work will be worth it once the supporters see him play. He is a confident and committed defender who adds a huge amount of competition to the centre-back spots, which is extremely healthy for the club.

"It has been a difficult time for him as he's not had a full pre-season under his belt, spending a lot of the summer training on his own. But he has worked ever so hard in training, which is a tribute to his desire to feature as soon as possible."

Using a loophole in a European Union employment law adopted by Fifa, Webster freed himself from his contract at Tynecastle with one year remaining. The 24-year-old invoked Article 17 of Fifa's rules governing transfers, giving 15 days' notice of his intention to leave at the end of last season and allowing him to move to a club outside Scotland.

 

After some confusion at the FA, who forgot to pass the relevant file to FIFA, Webster is finally clear to play for Latics and a compensation figure for Hearts will be decided at a forthcoming hearing.