Hearts ace Rudi Skacel insists goals for club are more important than caps for country

Oct 17 2011

CZECH coach Michel Bilek has the number of Rudi Skacel - and that's more than can be said of most defenders in the SPL.

But the Hearts striker insisted his focus is fixed on places like Pittodrie and Easter Road, not Poland and Ukraine.

If Skacel makes it to Euro 2012 it will be a spin-off from the success he craves as a Jambo rather than a primary objective to re-establish himself at international level.

His absence from the Czech squad these last 18 months only goes to show the embarrassment of riches available to Bilek, at least in comparison to Scotland boss Craig Levein.

The former Marseille and Hertha Berlin star scored 13 goals for Hearts last season yet the only calls he received from Prague came from family and friends.

Once upon a time Skacel would have chewed his nails anxiously waiting for a call-up.

Now? He's happy to torment SPL defenders after convincing Hearts boss Paulo Sergio he's the man to rely on to challenge the Old Firm at the top.

Hearts' defeat of Dunfermline - their first on the road this season - added to their recent win over Celtic at Tynecastle.

The games saw Skacel win his first starts of the season and even score crucial goals.

He said: "I've felt for a long time I was ready to start in the league but it was up to the manager to pick me. No one is happy to be on the bench but I hope I've shown I deserve to be in the first 11 because I can still score goals.

"But it's not my aim to prove my worth to the Czech national team. My aim is help Hearts by scoring goals for them.

"I scored 13 times last season and no one picked up the phone. They have been building a new team but no one even phoned.

You'll have to ask their coach Bilek if he fancies me.

"I was with the national team in America 18 months ago yet no one has called. But my focus is to play the best I can here.

"I'm 32 and just want to enjoy myself at Hearts. If the Czech national team want me they know my number."

Dunfermline will soon have a number of their own to dial for emergency assistance after taking a solitary point from six games.

They haven't scored in their last three matches and were toothless in attack again as Hearts keeper Marian Kello barely had a save to make in a match that was as drab as they grey clouds that hung over East End Park.

The Jambos arrived with a rousing away support but even they would admit their joy owed much to good fortune.

Former Hearts striker Andy Kirk fluffed his attempt to clear a corner at the front post in 40 minutes to allow Andy Webster an easy headed goal.

Skacel and Templeton then combined 15 minutes from the end to grab No.2. Skacel played in the winger, whose shot was blocked by Paul Gallacher but the ball broke for the Czech ace to slot into the net from six yards.

Paul Burns and John Potter had earlier come close to equalising but Dunfermline lacked a cutting edge going forward although defensively their three-man central unit was sound as a pound.

Jambos boss Sergio is fast adapting to the Scottish game, not to mention our climate. His maroon cardigan was replaced at the weekend by a black cashmere overcoat more befitting a funeral director. Thankfully his tone was slightly more upbeat.

He said: "We may have won 2-0 but it wasn't an easy game. We had to work hard and although things were a little more tranquil after we scored the second there are times we have to play ugly.

"I want us to play well but sometimes it's not possible and short passes must be combined with long balls.

"But we were focused and wanted to win.

to "It's good to win back to back in the SPL for the first time this season because it gives everyone confidence."

If McIntyre was tempted to head home on Saturday night and drown his sorrows it would have at least been from a glass half full.

He said: "It's hard to sit and talk about losing when I got a reaction from my players after two abysmal performances recently against Rangers and Aberdeen.

"The positives are we competed well and our shape was good but we were punished for mistakes.

Taken from the Daily Record