Daniel Stendel: Hearts youngsters must follow examples of Euan Henderson and Lewis Moore

Manager happy with energy brought to his team by two pacey forwards
Euan Henderson scores his first senior Hearts goal against Airdrie on SaturdayEuan Henderson scores his first senior Hearts goal against Airdrie on Saturday
Euan Henderson scores his first senior Hearts goal against Airdrie on Saturday

Daniel Stendel today implored every Hearts youngster to follow the examples of Euan Henderson and Lewis Moore after their Scottish Cup exploits.

Henderson, 19, and 21-year-old Moore impressed in Saturday's 5-0 victory against Airdrieonians and are certain to retain their starting places for Wednesday's league match at Ross County.

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Henderson was promoted from the very fringes of Hearts' first-team squad after Stendel's appointment as manager in December. He has started the last two games, while Moore returned from a loan spell at Falkirk to stake his claim.

Their youthful exuberance was a notable feature of the weekend win, with Henderson recording his first senior Hearts goal and claiming an assist for captain Steven Naismith. Moore's running power on the flanks caused Airdrie problems throughout the afternoon.

Stendel believes both players are showing other Riccarton youngsters what can be achieved if they work hard. "I want players with more pace and more power, especially on the wing. I am happy with the performance of both these players," Stendel said in an exclusive Evening News interview.

"I think Lewis Moore played very well in the first half and created good situations. In the second half, Hendo came into the game better. He had some problems in the first half so we moved him to the centre. He can use his pace. This was good for us and good for the player.

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"I hope it is also a good sign for other young players to show me what they can do. When you train good, you have the chance to play. The players need to understand that 'we must work hard for this coach to play at Tynecastle'. There is a chance for every player."

Having named 33-year-old Naismith club captain last week, Stendel acknowledged that a blend of youth and experience is vital for Hearts as they try to fight their way out of the Premiership's relegation zone.

"We said we would change some players in the first-team squad. It was so big before and I wanted a little bit of new influence in the team," added the German.

"The players have brought some energy and power but we also need players with experience. You can see Steven Naismith is very important for this team and this is the reason he is our skipper.

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"Saturday was a good start to the year with the way we want to play. I know we need confidence to play like this because we need to take more risks. We want to defend high and play quickly in front. You need the right decisions and this is easier when you have confidence.

"The biggest thing for me on Saturday was we got the confidence with five goals, a win and a clean sheet. After a long time without winning, this can give us a lift for the next games."