Callumn Morrison targets Scotland Under-21 squad after helping Hearts improve

Hearts have beaten Hibs and Aberdeen and drawn with St Mirren in the three games since winger Callumn Morrison returned from injury. He is, of course, not solely responsible for the turnaround after a horrid start to the league campaign, but there is no doubing his influence on it.
Hearts winger Callumn Morrison admits he had to show a lot of patience and perseverance to return. Pic: SNSHearts winger Callumn Morrison admits he had to show a lot of patience and perseverance to return. Pic: SNS
Hearts winger Callumn Morrison admits he had to show a lot of patience and perseverance to return. Pic: SNS

Two cameo roles as a substitute helped Hearts earn a much-needed league win at Easter Road and a place in the Betfred Cup semi-finals at Aberdeen’s expense. Morrison started last weekend’s goalless draw in Paisley and is in contention to face Kilmarnock at Tynecastle Park today.

“It’s good to be back involved. The last three games have been hard games,” he said. “It was good to come on against Hibs and make a wee bit of an impact. I’d been out since March or April so it has been a frustrating few months for myself. It’s been about getting my head down and getting back on with it. I am back out on the pitch now.

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“I am not taking credit for the turnaround,” he laughed. “The boys have done well to grind out the last three games. It was always going to be hard going into the St Mirren game after extra-time and penalties against Aberdeen. That’s just part and parcel of the game.”

Other injured players are slowly filtering back into the first-team dressing-room and should make Hearts stronger.

“Once we get the squad fit, touch wood it stays normal. It’s a good squad and a big squad, you look around the dressing room and there are some really talented players there. There’s a lot of competition and that’s good because if there’s no competition and you’re playing every week you start to get slack with your mindset.”

The 20-year-old is eager to learn and develop by watching more experienced colleagues. One of his current targets is to regain a place in the Scotland Under-21 squad having been called up last season.

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“My knee wasn’t right at the time so it was about managing it. Once I’m back fit I’ll be looking to get back in that squad,” he said. “I felt tired towards the end against St Mirren but I am sure that will come. I wouldn’t like to count myself as a senior player just yet, because I am still young and I have only played 40 games. I still see myself as in between.”

The youngster explained how he coped with the difficulties of returning whilst Hearts were bottom of the Premiership. “There is a lot of pressure when you are not winning games and stuff isn’t going right. You just have to get together as a group and get your heads down and keep fighting. Then you get one result and the next one comes after that and you start picking up from there.

“You block it out and when you get that result you go into the next game on a high. The dressing room has always been positive, there wasn’t boys slopping about and stuff. Everyone kept their head high. There is more positivity now. When things weren’t going well Naisy wasn’t even playing but he was still in the dressing room telling everyone to keep their heads up. He helped us keep going and it’s good to have experienced players like him, Glenn [Whelan] and Michael [Smith] and Christophe [Berra].”