Confident Hartley takes centre stage in cup run

WHATEVER the reasons behind Paul Hartley's emergence as arguably the most formidable midfield player in the country, they are unlikely to be revealed by self-analysis.

The Hearts player himself seems at a loss to explain the relatively sudden development that has transformed him from a nomadic journeyman into a master craftsman, an indispensable attribute to his club and the national team.

And which will undoubtedly have made him the most prominent bogeyman in any bad dreams Gretna may have experienced over the outcome of tomorrow's Tennent's Scottish Cup final.

If the boys from the Borders are entitled to a certain fearlessness on the basis of entering a no-lose situation at Hampden Park, any bravado will surely be abruptly modified by the recollection of Hartley's devastating performance against Hibernian in the semi-final and the consequent prospect of his repeating the terror in the big event itself.

At 29, Hartley is exhibiting an exceptional standard of play that was previously unsuspected - perhaps even unimaginable - during nine years with a variety of clubs before Craig Levein persuaded him to join Hearts just under three years ago.

He confessed himself puzzled yesterday by the source of the improvement, but, to the outside observer, there seems little doubt that the decision by Billy Stark, his manager at St Johnstone, to change him from a right winger into a central midfielder has been at the core of the revolution.

"Over the past six months, things have just got better and better for me, and I can't explain it," said Hartley. "Certainly, my confidence is sky-high. Those free kicks I've been scoring with I might not even have tried six or seven months ago.

"Maybe it's better that I don't understand how it's happened and just let it develop spontaneously. But I think you're right, it took Billy Stark to see that I could be a central midfield player. I hadn't even thought of it myself. I mean, I didn't ask to be moved inside, but when it happened, I loved it.

"I could be inconsistent when playing wide on the right and I think part of the reason for that is that, when you're stuck out there, you can be out of the game for long periods. That might be the answer, that I just hadn't found my true position."

If a comparison with Henrik Larsson is permissible in that context, there is another parallel to be drawn between the Scot and the great Swedish striker. It is that, in Hearts, Hartley, like Larsson at Celtic, has found the place at which the chemistry between player and club is perfect.

"Everything has gone right since I came to Tynecastle," he said. "I enjoy everything about this club. It just seems to be made for me. I've opened up here and I've become much more confident over the past couple of seasons.

"So, as well as Billy Stark, I owe a great deal of thanks to Craig Levein. He was the one who was very persistent in getting me here. He took a chance on me at a time when others might not have, and it's been perfect for me ever since."

Outside of Gretna, there is virtually unanimous agreement that, if Hartley reproduces the form that brought him a hat-trick in the 4-0 victory over Hibs in the semi-final at Hampden, the old trophy will be returned to Edinburgh for the first time in eight years. Expectations of a repeat, however, may be excessive.

"I might never play a better game in a Hearts jersey," said Hartley, clearly still tingling at the memory of what he regards as the pinnacle of his career so far. "Everything just went right for me that day. Everything came off, and for that to happen in a match of such importance against your city rivals is unbelievable.

"The difference this time is that it's the final, there are tangible rewards for winning, the trophy and the medal.

"That's what you want to achieve when you set out on a professional career. But we'll have to do what we've been doing all season to get our hands on the cup.

"Our work-rate and attitude have to be what they've been so far. We have to play at a high tempo, on the front foot, from the start. If we do that, we could put Gretna under pressure. If we don't, we could be in trouble.

"They have a lot of experience in their team and I know a lot of their guys. I've played with and against a number of them over the years and they're capable of taking advantage if we're not on top of our game.

"I think what Gretna have done is fantastic. I know they've been criticised in some quarters by people saying they've bought a championship and promotion, but that's nonsense. Their owner, like ours, has a lot of money and has put a great deal into his club. But that's not enough in itself. You have to have the right players and the right management and attitude and Gretna obviously have that."

Taken from the Scotsman