Exclusive: Beni Baningime reveals his Hearts frustrations and the point he wants to prove

Midfielder is back from injury with a burning ambition

The beaming smile is back, accompanied by that friendly face and no little football talent. Beni Baningime’s return to fitness with Hearts is warmly welcomed by all concerned. Rejoining the first-team squad after 17 months out with cruciate ligament damage renders him akin to the proverbial new signing.

The Congolese midfielder with the slightly-Scouse accent speaks enthusiastically about the months ahead in this exclusive Evening News interview. He arrived at Tynecastle Park in 2021 promising to make Hearts money in future transfer fees, however his career trajectory was cruelly disrupted by the aforementioned injury in March 2022. His three-year contract is now in its final year.

A competitive return to action in Saturday’s season-opening 2-0 Premiership win against St Johnstone ended a long and arduous recovery for 24-year-old Baningime. He played the final six minutes as substitute and is still smiling as a result. “There is no feeling like it. I played 90 minutes in pre-season but the win and the atmosphere afterwards was fantastic. I’m so happy. Sometimes you can start the season slowly but if you still win it’s great. I thought we were more dominant in the second half. Hopefully we carry on getting better.”

He returns with ambition, hunger and eager to prove a point to any detractors. New signings continue to arrive at Hearts and more will come in before the summer transfer window closes at the end of August. Baningime is ready for the challenge on both a personal and professional level.

“Them coming in strengthens us and it makes it harder to get a game but I don’t shy away from competition. Not at all,” he stated. “You’ve got to believe in your ability and I believe in mine. You always need to give your best and, if the gaffer thinks it’s good enough, then great. If not, then you have to hold your hands up and say: ‘Yeah, I’m not good enough.’

More than 3,000 Hearts fans gave him a rapturous reception when he entered the field at McDiarmid Park on Saturday. They clearly remember what an influential player he can be. “It was a big welcome and it’s good to be appreciated. I want to show them why they were clapping that much.

“Every player has something to prove in every season. I need to prove that I’m not just as good as before my injury, but better. You always have something to prove as a footballer. When you get to a situation where you believe you don’t have something to prove, that’s when you are stagnating. You are in trouble and you will never improve.

Beni Baningime made his Hearts comeback against St Johnstone on Saturday. Pic: SNS

“I want to prove to myself that I am as good as people say in terms of the applause I got on Saturday. I also want to get even better. There are always doubts: ‘He’s come back from a long injury. Is he the same?’ Anyone who thinks I’m not, I want to prove that I am as good and even better."

Despite starting his third campaign in Scotland, Baningime has never played for Hearts in European competition. It remains one of his biggest frustrations. He did feature for previous club Everton in Europa League ties against Lyon, Atalanta and Apollon Limassol back in 2017. A teenager at the time, those outings provided the player with valuable experience. Thursday’s Europa Conference League third qualifying round tie will be his first taste of UEFA’s third tournament.

“I’m buzzing for it,” he said. “It was unfortunate with me and Liam Boyce missing Europe last season. Hopefully we can spur the team on. I know it’s a little bit harder this time because we need to win two ties to get to the group stages, but all the boys are looking forward to the challenge.

“I expect Rosenborg to be very good on the ball. They will be a very good team, a lot more technical than St Johnstone. Something I watched last season in these games was: If you don’t keep the ball, you don’t get it back right away. Sometimes in Scotland you can lose the ball and get it back quickly. In these games, you really need to be good on the ball and keep it. You have to be tough to beat as a team. It’s a great challenge for us.”

Beni Baningime made his Hearts comeback against St Johnstone on Saturday. Pic: SNS

Trondheim’s Lerkendal Stadion has similar characteristics to Tynecastle with its steep stands packed tightly around the pitch and a capacity of just over 21,000. Fiorentina’s Stadio Artemio Franchi, for example, was a rather more daunting setting last autumn. The experience there, allied to those in Istanbul, Riga and St Gallen, should help Hearts this week.

“It was the first time [playing in Europe] for a lot of the players so I think they will have learned, 100 per cent,” said Baningime. “There will always be learning curves and improvement. Hopefully we have learned from any mistakes and can correct them.”

Sitting in the stand or at home watching colleagues up against quality European opposition gnawed away at the midfielder. Still does to some extent. He badly needs an injury-free campaign to progress his career now.

“That’s my biggest frustration: Things not working out, bad injuries for example, but I’m hoping my luck will turn so that I get that opportunity this season if we get through. I feel I need a full season uninterrupted with no injuries to get myself back to where I was – if not better.”