LEE WALLACE played 17 games for Hearts last season to rave reviews - but he admitted today he still doesn't feel like a first-team player.

The 17-year-old defender burst onto the scene last term, holding down a regular place at left back after making his debut in a Scottish Cup against Kilmarnock in February.

His rise to prominence meant Jamie McAllister, who had slotted in on the left side of the defence until that point, being forced further forward into midfield or having to settle for a place on the bench.

And despite having been in possession of the jersey at the end of the last campaign, Wallace believes he is now in the same position as any youngster at the club and has to prove himself to new boss George Burley.

It would have been easy to have let the attention go to his head, but that's not Wallace's style. The youngster is a shy and retiring type off the pitch but crucially it is on the park where he exudes confidence, displaying a maturity that belies his years.

"What I achieved last season is in the past now," Wallace insisted.

"If I start thinking 'that's me the number one left back' then my performances may slip a bit. I need to stay level headed and the way I am looking at this season is that I am starting off from scratch the same as any of the other young guys at the club.

"I certainly don't feel like a first-team player yet. I'm just delighted with every game I play for the first team."

Wallace was part of the Hearts team that defeated East Fife 2-1 at Bayview Stadium last night, playing 45 minutes before being replaced at half-time as the whole squad was utilised.

But while the Carricknowe teenager plays down his achievements last year, his modesty shouldn't be mistaken for a lack of ambition.

He said: "I'd love to stay in the team, don't get me wrong. I loved playing in the big games last season and to go from the under-19s to that was incredible. But I'm already way ahead of where I thought I would be so even staying around the first team next season would be great.

"I'm just trying to catch the manager's eye whenever I can and hopefully get into the team regularly. "

If Wallace looked like a raw talent when he made the step up into former manager John Robertson's team it wasn't long before he was turning in the kind of performances that had people singing his praises.

And Wallace insisted that as much as anyone captain Steven Pressley and Andy Webster deserve credit for aiding his development.

"Playing with the likes of Elvis and Andy Webster has definitely helped me and they still do in every game I play with them," said Wallace.

"They are both in the Scotland team and talk me through every game, which is great. I would be stupid not to listen to them as I'm just starting out in the game."

Wallace and his team-mates kept up their unbeaten pre-season run in Fife yesterday evening although it wasn't as comfortable as many would have expected.

Burley named a strong starting XI for his first match in charge of the Jambos in Scotland and sprang two surprises by naming 31-year-old Belarus internationalist Aliaxander Khatskevich as a trialist in midfield and 23-year-old French midfielder Julien Brellier on the bench.

Khatskevich played the opening 45 minutes before being replaced by Brellier and both will turn out again for Hearts this weekend before a decision is taken on their futures.

It took the visitors just seven minutes to make the breakthrough when a Pressley header from a corner kick was cleared only as far as Dennis Wyness, who turned quickly 14 yards out to squeeze a shot in at the goalkeeper's right hand post.

With half an hour on the clock, Hearts doubled their advantage when Wyness turned provider, releasing David Cesnauskis through the middle and the Lithuanian kept his composure to place a shot beyond Scott Morrison in the East Fife goal from 16 yards.

However, if Hearts thought that would knock the stuffing out of their third division opponents they were wrong and the visitors pulled a goal back eight minutes from the interval when they were awarded a penalty.

Pressley was adjudged to have pulled Craig Smart's jersey andBrian Fairbairn sent Jamie McDonald the wrong way from the spot.

After the interval, the game deteriorated a little, almost played at walking pace at times, with Icelandic youngster Hjalmar Thorarinsson being presented with the best chance minutes from time only for his rasping drive to be brilliantly turned over by substitute goalkeeper John Dodds.

One concern for Burley will be the fact Robbie Neilson and Cesnauskis both hobbled off injured during the game although neither picked up serious knocks.

More worrying, however, will be the fact his squad is in desperate need of an injection of new blood if they are to make their mark in the SPL this season and with kick-off just over two weeks away he is quickly running out of time.

East Fife: Morrison (Dodds 66), McDonald, Donaldson, Bain, Mathie (Campbell 72), Kelly (Johnston 72), King (Palickza 46), Hampshire, Smart (Ferguson 60), Fairbairn, Beith.

Hearts: McDonald, Neilson (Sives 20), Pressley (Berra 46), Webster, Wallace (Pelosi 46), Cesnauskis (Tierney 64), Khatskevich (Brellier 46), Hartley (Kizys 77), Hamill (MacFarlane 46), Wyness (Elliot 46), Thorarinsson. Subs not used: Gordon.

Taken from the Scotsman