 In August 1990, Heart of Midlothian spent a then club record £750,000 to take Ferguson to Tynecastle.He became a mainstay in the Hearts team over the next three seasons, including 1991–92 when they finished league runners-up.His good performances earned him a move to Sunderland, with manager Terry Butcher (his former captain at Rangers) signing him in a part-exchange deal which saw John Colquhoun return to Hearts.