Fit-again Driver ready to go full throttle

Provided you make a full recovery from injury, your ability soon returns, and all the signs are that Andrew Driver has indeed made a full recovery.

After missing most of last year with knee and thigh injuries, the Hearts winger has made three substitutes' appearances in recent weeks, and is close to winning a starting place. If he is not on the field from kick-off against Dundee United today, he will certainly play a part - and as other players start to show signs of fatigue, he could play an increasingly important role for his club as the season reaches its climax. "For the first time in a long time, I've no aches and pains," the 23-year-old said. "But I've got to take every step as it comes - an hour, then 90 minutes.

"I've been fit for two and a half, three months, but I've only just started to play, because they've been taking it slowly, like a pre-season. Maybe I will be at my best next year, after a proper pre-season, but I feel quite fresh now. The rest of the players are maybe feeling a bit tired, so hopefully I can make an impact straight away."

The impact he made on his return to training with the first team may not have been what he had hoped for, as some rustiness was there for unforgiving team-mates to see and comment on, but he is confident that once a few full games are under his belt he will be back to his best. "I had a few snide comments from the boys during my first few days training because my touch wasn't quite in yet, but you soon get used to it.

"I've been playing football all my life. You just can't switch it off like a light bulb and it's gone for good.

"I feel a lot stronger now. The football ability side of it isn't a worry for me: that will come back in time. It's all about getting match fitness. I feel good in training, and because of all the physio I've had, I do feel a lot stronger physically. With the confidence of going into games feeling strong, the rest will follow."

The confidence shown by Hearts as a whole will also surely help. Already well clear in third place, Jim Jefferies's team will go even closer to securing third place if they beat United today. Recent losses to Celtic and Rangers dealt blows to their hopes of challenging at the very top, but they remain closer to the Old Firm than to the chasing pack.

United manager Peter Houston, however, believes they can still be caught. "Hearts have a big lead and it is going to be very difficult to catch them, but our ambition is to still finish third and we won't give up on that until it's beyond us," he said.

"We still have to play them a few times, so who knows what can happen? They are a big, strong side and have a deep squad of players.

When you look at guys like Andy Driver and David Templeton being on the bench that tells you all you need to know."

That depth is something for which Driver is thankful. After probably attempting a return from injury too quickly last year, this time he has been able to take a more measured approach to his recovery.

'The major part of that is that the team are doing so well, there has been no need for me to rush back in," he admitted. "I would have to be at my best to get back into the team. This team has no passengers at the moment."

If the Lancashire-born player's injury had a saving grace, it was the fact it made the debate about his eligibility for Scotland an irrelevance at the time. Had he been fit and able to play, he could easily have become frustrated on learning that an initial rule change designed to ensure he could play for the national team had failed in its aim. A subsequent change to the criteria means he is now eligible, but, while eager to get the call-up for his adoptive nation, he knows the first step has to be re-establishing himself in the Hearts team. "The Scotland thing was all coming to a head when I got injured - it was over a year ago now," he recalled. "At least it's all settled now and I can just concentrate on playing my football. If the call comes, great.

"The argument about my eligibility maybe would have been more a hassle for me if I was playing well and could have been called up. But I wasn't even playing, so it wasn't even as if it needed to be sorted out straight away.

"It wasn't playing on my mind much, even though I wanted it sorted out. The way it was handled at the very start wasn't perfect, but since Craig Levein has come in, it's been done behind closed doors and we had a lot of communication between each other. So it was all sorted out, which is good.

"It has made me more desperate to get my first cap, but looking at the Scotland squad at the moment, I ain't going to walk into that. I've got to start playing here first. I've got to the end of the season to get myself back firing as well as I can. If I get a call in that time, perfect. If not, I'll keep plugging away and come back stronger next year."

Taken from the Scotsman