My derby debut was a stinker..

But he’d happily settle for something similar in his first derby as Jambos gaffer — as long as the end result is the same.

Locke was a fresh-faced 18-year-old when Sandy Clark threw him into their Capital clash with Hibs at Tynecastle back in August 1993.

But he admits the game passed him by at times as he tried too hard to help his side.

And sub Allan Johnston’s winner eventually went on to spare the teenager’s blushes.

On Sunday, Locke will face Hibs for the first time since becoming John McGlynn’s permanent successor in March.

From previous experience he knows no-one will care about the performance provided they get the points.

He said: “I had a bit of a nightmare in my first derby — but we won. And that’s all that mattered. It was great.

“The game kind of passed me by a bit because as a local lad you are up for playing against your big rivals.

“Once you play in one or two of them you settle into it.

“But you also learn it doesn’t matter about performances, it’s more about getting the win.

“But that’s the derby. They’re the same all over the world.

“For me it’s all about trying to win the game. If we do it by playing great football then great.

“If we do it by winning a scrappy game 1-0, so be it.”

Hearts moved above Hibs in the SPL after beating St Mirren at Tynecastle last week.

And Locke knows Jambos fans are desperate to see their side finish above their city foes.

But they have failed to beat Pat Fenlon’s side in four attempts so far this season, drawing their three league games and losing to them in the Scottish Cup.

Locke insists he has got no interest in whether or not Hibs now go on to lift the trophy against Celtic next month.

He said: “Nobody needs to tell me what the fans are thinking because I speak to them every day!

“It would be great for the club to finish above Hibs.

“But that isn’t the target for me. The target is to finish the best of the rest in the bottom six.

“By beating Hibs that will help us along the way but it is going to be a difficult game.

“They have a final to look forward to as we did this time last year.

“And I know all the players there will be looking to try and impress Pat over the next few games.

“The games between us have all been tight affairs. The league games have been draws.

“And we had a disappointing result in the Scottish Cup when David Wotherspoon’s shot took a wicked deflection and went in.”

Asked if he’d like to see Hibs go on and lift the trophy, Locke replied: “To be honest we’re not in it so it doesn’t bother me. I just hope we can put in a similar performance to the one last Saturday.

“There is no bigger game for us than the Edinburgh derby.

“And there’s every chance of me being banned from the Locke household if we lose!

“So hopefully the boys will put in the right performance.”

Locke confirmed Hearts have taken two Premier League youngsters on trial.

Fulham defender James Musa and Arsenal midfielder Josh Rees will train with the Jambos in the next few days.

He said: “We invited James and Josh up to have a look at them and see how they got on.

“Planning ahead like this is something every club does.”

Meanwhile, the Hearts boss revealed he was in the dark about reports in Lithuania suggesting owner Vladimir Romanov suffered a stroke.

He said: “I hadn’t heard anything, it was news to me.”