Hearts' future in good hands

Rob Robertson

19 May 1998

HEARTS defender David Weir talked yesterday of how he believes the team's young players will go on to represent Scotland in the coming years.

As his team-mates were still winding down following their cup success, Weir was the one man who could not afford such a luxury.

That is because tomorrow he will fly out with the Scotland squad to the USA for a series of friendlies, and, if everything goes to plan, he will be very much in Craig Brown's thinking at the World Cup in France.

Weir talked of the young talent in his club side that he believed would break through at a national level.

''Players like Gary Naysmith, who is only 19, Paul Ritchie, who is in his early 20s, and players like Steve Fulton and Colin Cameron, all have time on their side in relation to the international team,'' said Weir.

''People have said they are disappointed that there are not more Hearts players in the national set-up.

However, the guys at Hearts realise that they would have had to do incredibly well for Craig Brown because the people he has been loyal to have not let him down.

''However, the players who have been knocking on the door for international honours at Hearts have great ability, and the cup win will raise their profile and give them a greater chance in the future.'' Weir said he was going into the Scottish trip to America in probably his best form of the season.

His performance in the last league game against Dunfermline was highly praised by manager Jim Jefferies, as was his display in the cup final.

''You go through spells when you play well and I feel I'm going through such a spell just now,'' said Weir.

''My confidence is high and winning the cup will help all of us at Hearts on that front.'' Weir is a cool head in defence surrounded by young defenders like club captain Gary Locke, Naysmith, and Ritchie, men who he believes have learned much this season.

As to the cup final itself, Weir said that the last six minutes had been the longest of his career.

As for the controversial incident when he brought down Ally McCoist at the edge of the box, Weir said: ''After I tackled McCoist, I didn't initially see what the referee had given.

I was relieved once I realised it wasn't a penalty.''

Taken from the Herald