THE arrival of Paul Hartley in the restaurant didn't go unnoticed.

Boys and girls, mums and dads - all acknowledged his presence either with a nod in his direction or a whisper across the table to each other.

This is the norm for the Hearts and Scotland star now.

Yet in the same venue three years ago Hartley hadn't even merited a second glance. He was a StJohnstone player hoping to clinch a move to a bigger club on a Bosman that summer.

Not being noticed wasn't restricted to being out and about.

Not long before that he was just as I anonymous on the pitch as he struggled to make an impact with the Perth club.

It's all change now. Hart1ey is a top performer for club and country and has arguably been the most consistent player in Scotland over the last 18 months.

He topped it off with a hat-trick in the 4-0 Scottish Cup semifinal hammering of Hibs last weekend.

But the transformation that almost led to him joining Celtic and ended in a new lucrative deal at Tynecastle is down to the influence of Scotland boss Walter Smith and former Jambos gaffer Craig Levein.

Hartley said: "My profile is higher now because I'm Paul Hartley of Hearts AND Scotland. I'm no longer only playing for my club.

"I'm fortunate Walter selected me for Scotland. Being a part of his side has certainly given me much more confidence.

"I have seven caps and one goal. I want more caps and more goals.

"But it didn't happen for me overnight at Hearts, it took me a while to make my mark. "When I joined I didn't realise the size of the club. For a variety of reasons, such as being a former Hibs player and playing out of position, I found it a bit of a struggle at first.

"During my early months there was a spell of around four weeks I didn't play. During that period I questioned myself for joining.

"In my stint at Hibs and in Perth I was out of the team and when it happened at Hearts I thought, 'Here we go again.'

"When I think back to my time at Saints-they paid around £200,000 for me from Hibs but I didn't enjoy my first season there. I was off form and not playing.

"St Johnstone would have cut their losses and taken £40,000 or £50,000 if a team had offered that but I don't believe any club wanted me. Billy Stark came in and spotted something different.

"He made me a central midfielder from being a wide player. I got that wee bit of luck every footballer needs.

"I was doing well and knew I had to move to another level. A few clubs were interested but I fancied the challenge at Hearts.

"Craig Levein was gaffer and he made me believe in myself and urged me to improve my fitness. The way I play now I couldn't have managed a few years ago.

"I put it down to lots of hard work in the last three years or so, coming back in the afternoons and the like. It has paid off and I'm enjoying my football.

"I'm a lot fitter and feel as if I'm contributing throughout all areas of the park. I'm scoring goals, creating goals and also doing the so-called 'dirty work' in tracking back and helping the defence.

"I wasn't renowned for that but now it comes naturally."

However, the one bit of "dirty work" Hartley wishes he hadn't been involved in was the day he "lost the plot."

It was the Ne'erday clash between Hearts and Celtic at Tynecastle when he was caught by TV cameras booting Ross Wallace (far left) up the backside in the Hoops' 3-2 victory.

Referee Iain Brines missed the incident but Hartley was later hauled up in front of the SFA.

The midfielder was booed by Celtic fans throughout the Jambos' 1-0 midweek Parkhead defeat that sealed the title for Gordon Strachan's men.

And he admitted: "I don't expect opposition fans to cheer me. I've watched that Wallace incident 100 times. It was in the heat of the moment.

"I was stupid, reckless. I lost the plot. It was out of character and I've since apologised to Ross.

"I don't know why I have watched it so often. It might be just to make sure I never do anything like it again. I paid the penalty with a three-game ban.

"It wasn't pleasant having to go to Hampden to explain my actions. I don't want to be back there for anything like it."

Now Hartley wants to put it all behind him and concentrate on maintaining the form that made him a Hampden hero.

He said: "I'm happy with my form. I scored 15 goals last season and I'm on 14 this time. That's a good return.

"I've improved again this season. I've been much more consistent and I've had to be.

"There's more pressure on us to win and much more publicity."

Amid accusations of diving and acting in an unsporting manner - other teams and their fans are desperate to beat Hearts.

And Hartley and his team-mates are well aware beating them is now regarded as a feather in the cap for the opposition.

He said: "Teams want to beat us, players want to win individual battles more than I've ever known.

"Teams now treat us like the Old Firm, a big scalp. Other clubs and players don't like us. They are so wound up against us and want to see us collapse.

"We're always being accused of diving and cheating - anything to try and unsettle us. But it won't work. We have a good spirit and are resilient."

These qualities will be put to the test in the next five league games as Hearts bid to hold off a strong challenge from Rangers.

He said: "Expectation levels at this club are much higher. There's big pressure in every game.

"We have a real chance of a crack at the Champions League and it will be a huge disappointment if we don't finish second.

"It's going to be a nervy. We just have to hold off Rangers and we have the bottle to do it.

"It would be a great achievement to split the Old Firm. There's a bit of confidence in the dressing room that we can do that.

"Rudi Skacel has been good and will score more goals.

"Craig Gordon will keep them out. He is the best keeper I've played with.

"I want to keep my form going. I've had a great time during the last 15 or 16 months and want to end it on a high by qualifying for the Champions League.

"I've managed a few goals and the highlights are the hat-trick against Hibs and scoring for Scotland away to S lovenia."

Taken from the Sunday Mail