Elliot look for stay of execution

CALUM ELLIOT could make his final appearance of the season for Hearts tomorrow evening in Greece. But before the distinct possibility of him departing the club on loan transpires, he must attend to his fierce hankering for an appropriate send-off.

The teenager has spent the bulk of this season so far privately and publicly bemoaning his lack of first-team exposure yet, by his own admission, he failed to justify his first start of the campaign at Ibrox on Saturday. Redemption may yet come in the seething cauldron of Athens' Olympic Stadium.

Roman Bednar has been ruled out by a painful knock to his instep whilst Michal Pospisil is struggling with a dead leg, both injuries evolving from the demoralising defeat by Rangers. Even Elliot emerged from the visitors' dressing-room at Ibrox sporting a blackened eye, but the greatest hurt was to his pride.

Dunfermline, Falkirk, Gretna, Motherwell and, one suspects, a few others covet the services of this bustling young striker, even if any move is to be merely temporary. Yet Elliot is craving a stay of execution at Tynecastle. "I just want to have a role at Hearts," he says. It isn't difficult, then, to comprehend his frustration with both his own display and that of the Hearts team in Glasgow. If he is to be farmed out, then the player himself prays it will be on better terms. Preferably in the aftermath of a creditable individual and collective performance in Athens. Elliot would seem the natural attacking choice open to head coach Valdas Ivanauskas should he be forced to seek a partner for Edgaras Jankauskas; someone able to upset the Greeks and goad his team into effecting the improbable.

There could be no more fitting a way for Elliot to head off for a loan spell elsewhere. Hell, the club hierarchy might even be forced into a rethink if he can inspire an overhaul of the 2-1 deficit. "I was delighted to get involved from the start against Rangers but I wasn't impressed with the way I played. I don't know if I'll get an opportunity again," says Elliot, who filled a role on the right side of a three-pronged attack. "It would mean everything to me to play on Wednesday and any of the players, whoever gets the shirt.

"We know we must go there and upset them to get a result, so everyone will be working hard towards that aim. We were gearing up for that as soon as the final whistle went at Ibrox. I'm sure the manager knows what he's going to do in terms of his team and I'll respect whatever he does." In actual fact, Ivanauskas' decision-making for the encounter with AEK has been held up by the injuries to Bednar and Pospisil, both of whom would usually form a central part of a Hearts matchday squad. Elliot, Jamie Mole and Juho Makela represent the prospective replacements for a match which will end with a Champions League gratuity of between £6million and £10m for the final victors.

Given the inexperience of 18-year-old Mole, who has only one first-team appearance to his name, and the hitherto anonymous feats of Makela since he arrived in Edinburgh in January, Elliot would seem the favoured deputy. Whether he is deployed wide right, wide left or in goal has no bearing on his desire to serve his club. "I'll play anywhere I'm asked, whatever the manager wants me to do I'll do," he continues. "Every game I get I have to grab the opportunity and make the most of it, but I don't feel I did that on Saturday so we'll have to wait and see what happens."

One thing's for sure, Jim Leishman, John Hughes, Rowan Alexander and Maurice Malpas will be monitoring Elliot's situation intensely between now and the closure of the transfer window on Thursday week.

The 19-year-old has never played in the Champions League - he was an unused substitute in the first leg with AEK and his involvement with Scotland's under-19s at the European Championships in Poland precluded him from both Siroki Brijeg qualifiers - so it wouldn't be a bad stage on which to stake a claim.

Commendably for one so young, he was quick to admit to a slack pass back aimed at Bruno Aguiar during second-half kick-off against Rangers, a misplaced stroke of the ball which cost Hearts dear when their hosts claimed possession and mounted an attack which led to a penalty. But Elliot cannot be held solely responsible for the defeat, and in respect of his keeker was given more than a few harsh lessons about living with the Old Firm.

"I've got a few cuts and bruises but I'm sure I'll be okay. That's the price you pay in any game but especially a big one like that.

"I was disappointed with my own play because I know I can do better. I think it was my bad pass from our centre at the start of the second half which caused the goal. Hopefully there will be more chances for me in the future so I won't let my head go down. I took a bad centre and I take responsibility for that. It was an unfortunate thing to happen and Rangers took full advantage. Valdas didn't really say much afterwards. I think he was as disappointed as the players that we didn't get a result because it was a good opportunity for us to get at least a point at Ibrox. Maybe we let ourselves down a little by not doing that."

Elliot unquestionably feels he let himself down and knows a loan move may yet materialise later this week with Ivanauskas refusing to confirm if the striker will stay or go. But if he fronts up at East End Park, Falkirk Stadium, Raydale or Fir Park having sorted Hearts out with a multi-million pound bounty, Elliot will still be worth his weight in gold back at Tynecastle.

Taken from the Scotsman