January signing on what it's like to get recognised around Edinburgh as he makes vow to Hearts fans

James Hill insists the Hearts squad know exactly what they’re playing for each and every time they step out on to the pitch as they’re constantly reminded of it around Edinburgh.

The Tynecastle side were defeated by Motherwell last weekend in an abject performance which saw them lose to a non-Old Firm opponent for the first time in Scottish football since the middle of October.

It was a particularly galling result with a bumper away crowd in attendance as the team continue to be generously backed both home and away.

Hill, who joined on loan from Bournemouth near the beginning of the January transfer window, insists the team are committed to keeping standards high in order to repay those who pay their wages every week.

James Hill tries to tackle Motherwell's Sean Goss during Hearts' 2-0 defeat at Fir Park last weekend. Picture: SNS

The 21-year-old has only been in the Capital for a matter of weeks but already feels the love and passion for the club within the city.

“I have here and there to be fair,” he said when asked if supporters had approached him in public. “Like, in Sainbury's I've been recognised. I'm quite a quiet person. I might not be on the pitch, but I can be a little reserved.

“It’s still great to get recognised, 100 per cent. Because if it's little kids coming up to you and saying 'it's James Hill' that's nice because some of them will have aspirations themselves about being a footballer. They'll look at you as a role model because you play for their favourite team.

“That's the most important thing in terms of stepping out on to the pitch on Saturdays. There's a lot of people out there who... Hearts is their life. It's all they've got and I think they maybe don't know that we recognise the football club is massively important.

“No matter if it's a bad game or the best game, we're always going to try and give 100 per cent because we know what we're playing for. We know how much it means to the fans, the public, the town. That's why we always try to give 100 per cent all the time.

“Sometimes you can have an off-day. But know that every day in training we're working so hard to try and put in the best performance.”

Message from the editor

Thank you for reading this article. If you haven't already, please consider supporting our sports coverage with a digital sports subscription.