Moscow weather got me ready for snow in Gorgie

PAUL KIDDIE

THE icy blast gripping Scotland is helping new Hearts signing Deividas Cesnauskis feel right at home - and he’s determined to put the freeze on Livingston’s Tennent’s Scottish Cup dream.

The Lithuanian playmaker was the star of the show on his debut as the Jambos brushed aside Kilmarnock in their fourth-round replay at Rugby Park to set up Sunday’s meeting and he’s hoping for more of the same as the Gorgie outfit targets a berth in the last four.

Cesnauskis made his bow in maroon just days after arriving in Edinburgh having spent three-and-a-half years in Moscow with firstly Dynamo and latterly their arch rivals Lokomotiv.

The 23-year-old was signed by Kaunas in January and immediately loaned out to Tynecastle where he made an instant impact with a man-of-the-match performance against Killie. Although his form - and that of most of his team-mates - dipped drastically last weekend as Hearts crashed to Motherwell, he’s hoping a return to cup action will see a vastly improved display.

Speaking for the first time at length since his arrival at Tynecastle, he said: "The kind of weather we are having doesn’t bother me at all as I have been used to very cold weather in Moscow. Over there in the winter there is lots of snow and it can drop far below zero.

"This week’s weather hasn’t stopped us training as we have been indoors and we are all looking forward to the cup-tie."

With starts at Rugby Park and Fir Park under his belt, Cesnauskis has yet to run out at Tynecastle, an experience already enjoyed by compatriots Salius Mikoliunas and Marius Kizys.

Having spoken to his fellow-countrymen, it is a prospect he is relishing, team selection permitting. "It will be up to the manager who plays and of course I want to be involved," he said. "I have heard a lot about the stadium and the Hearts supporters and I am looking forward to playing there.

"I was surprised to be involved in the team so early after coming to the club but the Kilmarnock match was good for me as I managed to score on my first appearance. The team played very well in the last round and we now have the chance to get into another semi-final, which would be good for the club.

"Last week was a disappointment but we have to put that behind us and make up for it with a good result on Sunday."

Following the lead of Kizys and Mikoliunas in pursuing his career in the SPL rather than Eastern Europe, Cesnauskis is excited by the challenges which lie ahead at Tynecastle.

A new era has been launched under Vladimir Romanov, the Baltic millionaire having bankrolled the trio’s deals until the summer - with a pledge to splash out to extend their contracts should they do well enough.

Cesnauskis has already seen enough of Scotland’s Capital and Hearts to convince him that staying longer is very much on the agenda.

"I am still adapting to life in Scotland but I am enjoying myself here and Edinburgh is a beautiful city," he said. "It is the first time I have been here but it is very impressive.

"I don’t know what is going to happen after the summer but this is a good club with a strong squad of players.

"I would be happy enough to stay if things were to work out okay."

The latest import from Lithuania has 17 caps for his country - the latest won against Georgia just prior to his arrival in Gorgie - and he is currently keeping Mikoliunas out of his national side.

With both players having demonstrated impressive ability to weave their tricks on either flank, competition for places this season looks sure to be intense. "I can play on either side of midfield, wherever the manager wants me to play," he said. "If we are all competing for places then that is a positive thing for the team.

"The game here is fast and there is a lot more contact compared to where I have been playing in Moscow. But I don’t mind that and I enjoy it when the football is quick."

Judging by his eye-catching display in Ayrshire, Cesnauskis, who was a half-time substitute for Dynamo Moscow in the Russians’ 4-1 defeat at home to Dick Advocaat’s Rangers in the 2001-02 UEFA Cup, appears to have a lot to offer the Jambos if he can maintain any sort of consistency.

"This is a new challenge for me but I wouldn’t have come to Hearts if I didn’t think I could do well for the club.

"This is an exciting time for the club with everything that is happening and Sunday is another of the series of big games we have faced recently. It is good to be part of it."

Livingston may be propping up the SPL but Hearts, six points adrift of Hibs in fourth place, know the respective league positions count for nothing as both clubs dream of a date at Hampden in May.

"This is a huge game for both clubs and the incentive is there for both of us to reach the last four of the competition," added Cesnauskis.

"Our opponents on Sunday will be as determined as we are to get through so it should be an exciting game."

Taken from the Scotsman