ELLIOT EYES ANOTHER CHANCE

Hearts starlet Calum Elliot hopes his brace in the 5-0 thrashing of Falkirk is enough to ensure he keeps his place in the first team for Sunday's top-of-the-league showdown against Celtic.

The 18-year-old scored either side of the interval, his first goals of the season, as the Tynecastle outfit rediscovered the form that saw them sit proudly at the summit during the first three months of the term.

Head coach Graham Rix was expected to start with Edgaras Jankauskas and Roman Bednar in attack but the latter failed to make the squad due to a reputed hamstring problem.

That set-back did not have any affect as Hearts cantered to an easy win with Elliot stealing the show.

He said: "It has been too long not to score and it was just good to get a goal.

"It has been in the back of my mind but if you keep working hard and getting into positions you will take one eventually.

"It was good to get our league form back on track and hopefully I have done enough to keep my place against Celtic.

"It is not just any normal game, if you want to win the league you have to get something out of it basically."

Elliot insists Hearts is the place to be for any aspiring youngsters and paid tribute to Rix for giving him an opportunity in a side packed with experienced players.

He added: "I cannot speak highly enough of the manager because he has kept playing me and it was about time I repaid his faith.

"You can't be at a better place than Hearts for a youngster, the facilities are great and the manager and the players are great in helping you develop as well. The training is good too."

Rix, who saw Paul Hartley, Rudi Skacel, Michal Pospisil and Elliot score the goals in a five-star performance, insists he never had any concerns over fielding the raw teenager.

Elliot was even given the shout over Pospisil, who could manage only a place on the bench.

Rix said: "I am delighted for Calum and his couple of goals. He is very young and he has worked very hard.

"I have never had any doubts over Calum, it's his attitude and his work-rate, and his ability of course.

"Those two goals would have done him the world of good. It did me the world of good."

Taken from sportinglife.com