MOSCOW, November 2 (RIA Novosti) - Ex-Scotland striker Garry O’Connor’s move to Russia has seen him chasing unpaid wages, his agent told R-Sport on Friday.
O’Connor joined Russian second-tier Siberian team FC Tomsk are leaving Hibernian at the end of last season, but has fallen victim to financial problems at the club that have reportedly seen players threaten to strike.
“[The club] have problems with money,” agent Pavlin Panayotov said. “All the players have problems.”
Despite the O'Connor's status as Tomsk’s marquee summer signing, he has had to wait for late wages with the rest of the team.
“He’s not been given anything else, the club haven’t treated any players different from others,” Panayotov said.
“When all the players are getting the money, he’s getting it as well.”
Panayotov said he did not know about players’ reported threats to strike, and could not say whether or not O’Connor had been involved.
The club has turned a corner and is now more stable, Panayotov said, adding that O’Connor was in a good mood.
“There’s been some changes,” he said. “And the atmosphere is much more positive. Last time I spoke with him he was positive, a couple of days ago.”
Tomsk lead the Russian First Division by four points and are heading for an immediate return to the Russian Premier League, from which they were relegated last season.
O’Connor’s form on the pitch has been patchy, with one goal in six league appearances.
He was prevented from playing when he arrived because Tomsk was barred from registering players due to unpaid debts, before a red card on his eventual debut meant he was suspended for a game.
He has not played for the last month due to a knee injury which has now healed, Panayotov said.
O'Connor, 29, became the first British player to join the Russian league when he signed for Lokomotiv Moscow in 2006, but he struggled to settle and was transferred to Birmingham City after 15 months.
