ROBBIE THE PICKED

Having broken through to Hearts’ first team, Robbie Neilson is relishing his right-back role and hoping to cement his place in Walter Smith’s squad, writes Alan Campbell

NOT so long ago, Robbie Neilson would have been grateful for an hour in a Hearts strip. The incredulous expression on the right back’s face when he was substituted against NK Siroki Brijeg on Wednesday night illustrated just how rapidly his star has ascended in the past 12 months.

Being replaced for the final 30 minutes by Ibraham Tall clearly stung the 26-year-old Neilson. Back in Edinburgh on Friday, he maintains he was surprised rather than annoyed, but the television pictures told a different story.

As Hearts’ longest-serving player, Neilson is entitled to managerial respect, but he has had to earn it in a circuitous way. Central Park, in Cowdenbeath, and the Palmerston equivalent in Dumfries are not classified as fields of dreams, but they provided environments for the on-loan defender to learn his trade at the footballing coal-face.

Hearts supporters who once howled at his mistakes have grown to accept, and then cherish, Neilson’s full-hearted efforts. He may not be as accomplished an all-round footballer as Alan Maybury, whose departure for Leicester City allowed him to cement the right-back position as his own, but what he lacks in finesse he makes up for in passion and effort.

“I’m just naturally fit,” he agrees. “It gives you confidence that you’re going to be running about as much at the end of the game as the start of it and can pressurise your opponent for the full 90 minutes.

“Nowadays, athleticism is almost as important as footballing ability.”

Former Hearts manager Craig Levein, who also had Neilson under his wing at Cowdenbeath, marvels at the right back’s ability to run tirelessly up and down the park all afternoon. His defensive abilities are also very sound, while his long throw-ins can cause havoc in opposition penalty boxes and forced the vital opening goal against Siroki at Murrayfield 11 days ago.

The tactic, as exemplified by Chelsea’s Anglo-Scot Ian Hutchinson, was first introduced to British football in the 1970s but remains a curiosity item – which is strange, given it is so simple and effective. The throw of Hearts’ injured Portuguese defender Jose Goncalves is, if anything, even longer than Neilson, but the right back denies they have competitions in training.

“It’s something I’ve done since I was a young boy, but I don’t really work on it,” said Neilson. “I don’t do it in training because it can put a bit of strain on the back, but there’s no doubt during games it causes a bit of havoc.”

While his style might not appeal to everybody, it obviously does to Scotland manager Walter Smith. The right-back position in the national side is crying out for a regular occupant and Neilson, at a good age to be introduced to international football, will have his first opportunity to impress Smith at close quarters when the Scotland squad meet in St Andrews next week.

Neilson, who learned of the call-up when a friend texted him in Bosnia, insists he hasn’t had time to digest the implications. Given Hearts’ punishing schedule, it’s just about possible to believe him.

Returning, after an unplanned meander through the Baltics, to Edinburgh at 7am on Thursday, the Hearts players grabbed a few hours sleep before reporting for training at 5pm. Further sessions on Friday and yesterday were required prior to today’s Premierleague game against Celtic, a match they could have done without given Wednesday night’s final Champions League qualifying round against AEK Athens at Murrayfield.

A side which has had to start the season without Goncalves, Andy Webster, Paul Hartley and Rudi Skacel will have to raise its game considerably if these frighteningly high hurdles are to be cleared. Neilson and the defence, with Christophe Berra replacing Webster, have been as resolute as ever but huge question marks hang over the midfield and strikers.

The performance against Siroki, in only the third competitive game of the season, also seemed to greatly displease Vladimir Romanov – although the ususal attempts to blame “lost in translation” have been made for the owner’s critical remarks.

“He’s got high expectations and wants us to win every game,” points out Neilson. Given that in professional football the result justifies the means, the 0-0 draw seemed reasonable enough, especially as Hearts had a legitimate early goal disallowed.

“Siroki seemed like two different teams,” explains Neilson. “After Murrayfield we thought we were going to go over there and give them a doing but they were a far better side at home. Valdas [Ivanauskas] wanted us to win the game because there were fans over there who’d paid a lot of money to travel, but the bottom line is we’re through to the next round.”

What disturbs Hearts watchers is the poor level of performance so far this season compared with last, but Neilson points out that, after the exhilarating start under George Burley, there were mediocre displays then as well.

While true, at least one quality midfielder and a different type of striker need to be signed if Hearts are to prosper in either the league or in Europe. Notions that Hartley – described on Friday by Ivanauskas as “the spirit in the team, the soul in the team and an integral motor part” – will be fit to return against AEK seem fanciful. His groin strain is not straightforward.

When today’s fixture against Celtic was announced, it seemed the Glasgow club would be disadvantaged by their midweek trip to Japan. But with Gordon Strachan taking a shadow side across the world, and Hearts taking longer than expected to return from Bosnia, it hasn’t worked out that way.

Revenge will be in the air today after the manner of Celtic’s 3-2 victory at Tynecastle on New Year’s Day, but at least it will be a game Hearts don’t have to psyche themselves up for in between European games.

As far as AEK are concerned, Neilson says: “We only know what Takis [Fyssas] has told us. They’re a physical team and have got a couple of big guys up front. Obviously they’re a good side but he thinks we’ve got a good chance against them. It’s important to win the first game at home and be able to defend a lead in Athens.”

So far, under the Romanov regime, Neilson has held off the challenges of Tall, Lithuanian Nerijus Barasa, and departed Slovakian internationalist Martin Petras. Yet another right back, Tiago Costa, was signed on Friday but as he can also play in midfield he may not constitute a major threat.

Unless he falls foul of one of the waves of irrationality which wash over Tynecastle, Neilson should remain an integral part of the side. A place in Scotland’s European Championship team also beckons, but Neilson, as ever, will take nothing for granted.

Taken from the Sunday Herald