Hearts interim head coach Stevie Frail admits his friendship with Dundee United boss Craig Levein will be put to one side on Saturday.Former Hearts manager Levein returns to Gorgie with his side looking to record their third victory over the Edinburgh outfit this term.

Hearts hopes of finishing in the top six hinge on the players registering maximum points against United while the visitors will be equally determined to secure the win as they continue their push for UEFA Cup football.

Frail was brought to Hearts by Levein before he quit to join Leicester City and the Frail insists he will always be grateful to his friend for giving offering him a path back into coaching.

"I probably would not have been sitting here if Craig had not brought me back after I lost my job at Morton," Frail said.

"He was the first one on the phone, I lost it on the Friday afternoon and he was on the phone later on that day.

"I owe him a lot, not just from this side to it. He was great with me as a player when I was at Hearts.

"He is one of my close friends in football but come 3pm on Saturday, I will be hoping that my team goes out and beats his team."

Meanwhile, Hearts midfielder Eggert Jonsson is celebrating after he signed a new four-and-a-half year contract with the club.

The Iceland international's new deal runs until summer 2012.

The players' agent began talks over fresh terms in January and Jonsson, who only broke into the first team at the start of this season, is delighted to have finally signed the new contract.

He said: "I am happy here and happy with the way things are going. There was never a doubt that I would not sign a new deal.

"I still had two years left on my old one, I was not thinking about anything else.

"From a personal point of view things have gone well, hopefully I can keep learning and improving.

"I have tried to improve in the three years I have been here. It's a great place, there are great coaches and the facilities at the academy are good."

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