Bairn for the big stage

BARRY ANDERSON

LAST time Edgaras Jankauskas was scheduled to conduct an interview with this newspaper he was forced to cancel, having double booked himself to view a prospective new apartment at the same time.

At 6ft 4in, we weren't going to argue with him. But suffice to say that the imposing Lithuanian has spent the intervening period settling in comfortably to his new surroundings, both at home and at his place of work.

With vocal chords that must sit so deep they are virtually in his stomach, Jankauskas eventually got the chance to speak at length about his period of adjustment since arriving in Edinburgh when we managed to organise another rendezvous at the club's Riccarton training base.

This time, in line with his commitment on the field, there was no pulling out. A loan signing from FBK Kaunas in July, Jankauskas' adaptability will be given a further examining in the coming weeks when Hearts are forced to operate without their Czech Under-21 striker, Roman Bednar, who suffered a torn cartilage in a clash with Marvin Andrews on Saturday and underwent surgery in Leeds yesterday. The result is the sidelining of Bednar for up to six weeks.

It seems that just as the striking partnership of Jankauskas and Bednar was prospering to the extent of having an increasingly accomplished look about it, a strike of lightning arrives to interrupt the continuity manager George Burley, pictured right, desires.

It may sound dreadfully simple, but Jankauskas will merely get on with it at the Falkirk Stadium on Sunday, when he can expect to be partnered in the Hearts forward line by Calum Elliot, Stephen Simmons or, a miraculous surge in physical condition permitting, Michal Pospisil. The more likely option at the moment would appear to be 18-year-old Elliot in spite of his inexperience.

Whoever is handed the slot alongside Jankauskas has much to look up to, and we're not only talking literally. You don't win the Champions League through an inability to adapt to different on-field scenarios and attacking partners, so in that respect there is a certain versatility about Jankauskas which should serve his club well as they make a record-breaking attempt to record nine consecutive league victories.

"It is a shame that Roman has picked up this injury," said the Lithuanian. "We were doing well together and, of course, he scored a very important goal against Rangers. I felt we were developing a good partnership.

"But we have other strikers to come in and Michal, for one, has already shown that he can score for Hearts when he came on as a substitute against Aberdeen. We would still hope to keep winning even though Roman is out."

The talented Pospisil has also been more frequently on the treatment table than the training pitch of late since he was injured early in last month's CIS Cup victory over Queen's Park at Hampden. Despite so many absences, his league goal tally of one is equal to that of Jankauskas, who also scored twice in the national stadium cup win.

Jankauskas' laid-back demeanour doesn't offer much weight to any theory that he would be irked by statistics, but he does concede a personal rankling at his lack of goals so far in his Hearts career.

"Until now I haven't had too many opportunities to score goals but the midfielders are scoring well and helping create space for other players. So that makes me happy and physically I am feeling well. There is more to come from me, and I hope there is more to come from every player at Hearts and ultimately the team as a whole. It's always nice to be top of the league and winning. Everything is positive and we intend to continue the same way on Sunday. Hearts is a good club and the team is playing good football. We also have a vibrant atmosphere within the squad so everyone is enjoying life at the moment."

Perhaps contrary to most 6ft 4 inchers who have been employed in Scottish football, Jankauskas is not overly enthusiastic about seeing his defenders launch the ball from back to front in the manner regarded in the past as being the stereotypical style of our game. In this instance, it's a good job his manager concurs.

"I prefer it when the ball is on the ground, but any method that brings goals we will take use," said the striker, now 30. "The manager wants us to play a quick, passing game as much as possible so we are not a team who will play the ball in the air too much.

"The rhythm is high here which makes it difficult to come and play. If you look at the matches we have played this season very few have been easy ones. We have been made to work very hard to get where we are, so it is not easy to win games in Scotland.

"The key to our success is simply the hard work that we have been putting in. That is what the manager demands.

"It is not usual for a team to start a league competition and win eight matches out of eight, but our aim is always to win each game and we have succeeded so far. Maybe people are not used to that but it is a great feeling."

As they go for their ninth straight victory at Falkirk, Jankauskas seems to be finding his feet in the SPL. Evidence of that lies in his stirring performance against Rangers at Tynecastle when he displayed the side of a striker's game which often goes unnoticed by holding possession well and bringing his midfield into the game when the opportunity permitted.

Years in the Portuguese Super Liga with Porto, who parted with £1.6 million to bring his talent across the border from Real Sociedad in Spain, would doubtless have helped him perfect the more technical aspects.

"It is not all that quicker playing in Portugal than playing in Scotland, which might surprise some people. I can tell you that Portuguese teams are a little better on the technical side, but here it is more physical and you have more long balls and high balls to contend with."

Jankauskas wouldn't even have to jump to win his fair share of them, but it will be interesting to note how he copes without the impressive Bednar by his side.

Taken from the Scotsman