Hearts star Callum Paterson targets career-best goals tally

Callum Paterson scored his seventh goal of the season at Hamilton on Monday night

The 22-year-old is top goalscorer at Tynecastle having netted more than all of the club’s forwards combined. He prodded home a vital equaliser to secure a 3-3 draw in Lanarkshire on Monday night.

Paterson is now hungry for more goals to eclipse the 11 he scored for Hearts in season 2013/14.

He is out of contract at the end of the season, though, and is aware that he could leave Edinburgh in January if Hearts receive an acceptable transfer bid.

“I’m good at attacking, people know that,” he said.

“I am better attacking than defending and I’m seen as a threat when we’re behind.

“Thankfully, I took another chance on Monday night. I think that’s seven goals this season now, which is a good return for me. It’s not my best return but I’ve got a few games left anyway.

“I said at the start of the season I wanted more than 11. That was my best return and every season I look to better that. Hopefully, I can do it this season.”

Paterson argued that Hearts’ overall display against Hamilton was below standard. That soured his happiness at scoring late on. “I couldn’t really be delighted, to be honest,” he continued. “We went there to win and we didn’t do that. We weren’t good enough.

“It was great spirit to come back but, at the end of the day, one point is less than three. We went there for three and we didn’t get that.”

Hearts will now aim to win for the first time in five games this weekend when Motherwell visit Tynecastle in the Ladbrokes Premiership.

“There’s no pressure on us to go back to winning ways but we need to go back to winning ways,” explained Paterson, mindful that Hearts remain fourth in the table. “As a club next year, we want to be near the top of the table and getting into Europe.

“We need to get our foot back on the gas and start winning games again.”