Hearts stopper Patrick knows he was right to Kis Oz goodbye

IF Patrick Kisnorbo ever had any reservations about leaving his native Australia to kick-start a new career with Hearts, the past few weeks will have certainly convinced him of the wisdom of his decision.

Having turned his back on his home in Melbourne to commit himself to the Gorgie outfit in the summer, the defender was keen to make an impression at his new club as quickly as possible.

While confident in his own ability, the athletic full-back could not have envisaged just how rapidly things would progress at Tynecastle, Kisnorbo now a key member of Craig Levein’s back four a matter of weeks after winning his first start in the 2-0 victory over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park last month.

Having waited patiently for his opening, the Aussie ace forced his way into the plans of boss Craig Levein after consistently impressing in the reserves and while he is still raw and adjusting to the pace of the game in the SPL, the early evidence would suggest he is going to be a valuable addition to the squad at Tynecastle.

After a shaky start in the UEFA Cup first round, second leg showdown with Bosnians Zeljeznicar on Wednesday, Kisnorbo went on to produce one of his best displays since coming into the side as the Jambos booked their place in the second round of the tournament with a hard fought 0-0 stalemate in the dilapidated Olympic Stadium.

The war-ravaged streets of Sarajevo on an icy October evening contrast starkly with the sublime sunshine life in Melbourne but it does serve to underline just how far the youngster has come.

With a winning debut in Europe now under his belt and the prospect of running out in front of 60,000 supporters at Parkhead tomorrow, it would be difficult to see how life could be better at this moment in time for Kisnorbo.

"It has been an excellent experience for me since I came to Scotland," he said.

"From getting my first start for Hearts to holding down my place in the team and now helping the side qualify for the second round of the UEFA Cup, things just keep getting better.

"It has been an incredible period for me after joining the club and I am loving every second of it.

"We now play Celtic tomorrow and after moving here from Australia I am hoping to find myself up against some of the best players in the world. It’s all been happening recently but I don’t mind that."

Kisnorbo used to watch Celtic games on the television Down Under and he can’t wait to sample the electric atmosphere at a packed Parkhead at close quarters as the Jambos look to make the most of the confidence gained by their progress in Europe.

The 2-0 lead from the UEFA Cup first round, first leg clash at Tynecastle proved decisive with Zeljeznicar unable to get the better of the Jambos’ rearguard and the triumph should see Hearts head west with the all-important attribute for such occasions - self belief.

"I have never played there before although I have seen games at Parkhead on television," said Kisnorbo.

"We will go with spirits high after our result in Bosnia and if we can take the form we showed in the second half of the match against Zeljeznicar to Glasgow, then hopefully we can give a good account of ourselves."

Levein and his players didn’t arrive back into Edinburgh from Sarajevo until lunchtime yesterday and will have little time to shake off the effects of the heavy pitch at the Olympic Stadium in midweek before running out at Parkhead. Tiredness may be an issue for some of the players against the league leaders but midfielder Scott Severin reckons the importance of the occasion should ensure Hearts are firing on all cylinders.

"I suppose tiredness could be a factor tomorrow after we put so much into the European match but it is such a big game that we shouldn’t be letting that sort of thing bother us," he said.

"It is difficult at Parkhead at any time but Celtic have been playing well recently, they will also have the added benefit of no game in midweek and will be refreshed for the match so we are under no illusions just what lies ahead of us.

"Although there were a few scary moments in the first half against Zeljeznicar fortunately they didn’t make the most of their opportunities and we were able to get a better grip on things after half-time. For the most part we defended pretty well against them to keep a clean sheet and that has to be our aim again tomorrow. We will be giving it our best shot and if it happens on the day for us then great but it is obviously another huge challenge for us, and arguably a bigger one than we faced in Sarajevo.

"We had a great result against Celtic towards the end of last season at Tynecastle but the acid test of how we are improving as a team is how we perform in Glasgow.

"It is never easy there and you always need a bit of luck to be in with a chance of taking something from these games and sometimes it is a case of making your own luck. We will be working hard to take something but if we don’t manage to, it won’t be a disaster as there are many other games left in which to pick up points."

Taken from the Scotsman