 The flipside to this success, however was the continual arrival of internationally renowned players competing for positions, and McPherson again found himself relegated to the bench by 1994.Financial troubles at Hearts dictated McPherson's next move, as he returned to the Edinburgh club in part exchange for Alan McLaren, Rangers also paying Hearts £1.25m.By now approaching the veteran stage, McPherson played an important role in nurturing Hearts' next generation of defenders such as Paul Ritchie and Gary Locke.