Cammy Devlin defiant over Hearts ability as midfielder reflects on Rangers red card and possible punishment

Achieving and maintaining momentum has been a real challenge for Hearts in the 2022/23 season to this point.

Thursday’s 3-0 loss to Fiorentina was the latest energy-sapping, confidence-draining setback to befall the Tynecastle side as they struggle mightily to fight on both a domestic and European front.

Five wins in 14 doesn’t make for great reading. Context has to be applied. The majority of losses have come against the likes of the Old Firm or European opposition – the back-to-back defeats against Kilmarnock and Livingston the only true blemish on their record – but in a sport where winning is everything it’s harder to focus on the bigger picture when losing hurts so much.

Midfielder Cammy Devlin insists the belief needed to correct course and make this another successful campaign is still fully embedded within the Hearts squad. They just to take their licks, become better players as a result and shake off the disappointments when run-of-the-mill encounters, like Sunday’s visit to Kilmarnock in the cinch Premiership, come around.

Hearts midfielder Cammy Devlin is unavailable for the next two league games due to suspension, but will be free to face Fiorentina next Thursday. Picture: SNS

“We are in this tournament for a reason.” said the Australian after the latest loss in the Europa Conference League. “We are not here because we’ve fallen into this tournament. We earned the right to be here by showing it on a consistent level. Now we are playing every three or four days. We are up for it and everyone wants to do it but we’ve not done it for quite some time.

“We are playing top, top teams and we want to become better both as individuals and as a collective. We will do that but these things take time. But all the boys are giving it 120 per cent because we are all shattered when we lose. We’ve lost to Fiorentina. You have to put it in perspective at times but we will learn from it and go again.

“Sunday is massive. These games during the week in Europe are great for the fans and next week they get to go to Italy to see Hearts playing in Europe. But these games at the weekend are our bread and butter. Last season we would go to away games and win even if it was a scrap. That’s how we earned the right to be in Europe and we need to do it all over again.”

Devlin will be absent from the match at Rugby Park thanks to the red card he received in last weekend’s 4-0 defeat to Rangers after going in heavy on winger Rabbi Matondo and stamping down on the player’s ankle.

Cammy Devlin challenges Sofyan Amrabat during the Europa Conference League defeat at Tynecastle. The Hearts midfielder was introduced as a second-half sub. Picture: SNS

Asked if it was something he regretted, he answered: “Yeah, definitely. I’m shattered at the moment. It’s something in football I’ve never had to go through, but you’ve got to get over it as quickly as you can and hopefully I showed when I got out there [against Fiorentina] that I’m over it now and past it. I’m missing football games so I’m gutted.”

Devlin did receive praise from Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst after the game. When big names become integrated into the goldfish bowl of Scottish football it’s sometimes easy to forget what they’ve achieved in the game. This was a former Champions League winner and World Cup finalist saying he liked Devlin as a player.

“He just said I don’t need to do that in my game. At the time I was just so heated and disappointed that I wasn’t fully listening,” said Devlin of the moment Van Bronckhorst had a word in his ear as he left the field.

“I’ve been told he said I was a good player which obviously is great coming from someone like him. I really appreciate that but it came from a negative action by me so it’s something I’ve got to learn from and move on quickly.

Rangers manager Giovanni Van Bronckhorst has a word with Cammy Devlin after the Hearts midfielder's red card at Tynecastle. Picture: SNS

“The joy of playing for Hearts right now is that the games come thick and fast. It was a nice compliment to receive. Any compliment from anyone is good to receive but I let my team down and I want to make it up to them.

“Hopefully I can do that next Thursday.”

Well rested compared to the majority of his team-mates, Devlin will be expected to play a part in Florence as Hearts go looking for the result required to keep their qualification hopes alive.

He was, however, conspicuous by his absence from the start against the Italian side at Tynecastle. A second-half substitute, he had a positive impact on his team’s play when they were already down to ten men, even if they would go on to lose another goal on the counter as they sought to fight their way back into things.

A popular assumption is that Devlin, probably Hearts’ best player in Europe so far this term, was being punished for his moment of madness against Rangers. Although, when asked about that possibility, the 24-year-old refused to be drawn.

“Obviously I was disappointed not to start,” he said. “Everyone who knows my personality and who I am as a person [would know that]. If you asked any of the players on the bench they would be gutted not to start. So yeah, I was gutted not to start.

“That was the gaffer’s decision. If it were up to me then I obviously would’ve thrown myself in there. But you have to respect the gaffer’s decision. In my head I just prepared myself mentally for if and when I’d be called upon and hopefully make a positive impact. I’m disappointed but it is what it is.”

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