Exclusive: Beni Baningime opens up on his Hearts future, knee surgery and being written off

Midfielder gives frank answers to some tough questions about his career

The Rosenborg moment remains fresh enough in Beni Baningime's mind. The sight of him languishing behind rampant 16-year-old Sverre Nypan, toiling to pull the midfielder down before giving up and collapsing on the Lerkendal Stadion turf as the Norwegians went 2-0 ahead almost brought a tear to the eye. It laid bare the truth about a returning Hearts icon: He simply wasn't ready after 17 months out injured.

Baningime doesn't shirk from what happened that evening and happily accepts full responsibility. In fact, he shies away from nothing. Questions on knee surgery? He replies openly. Contract talks? He answers candidly. Written off by some people? He offers a forthright response. Motivation to be better than before the injury is obvious, and he knows it will take time. Sceptics simply fuel the desire.

Baningime has started only one game for Hearts since that August night in Trondheim. He is gradually rebuilding his career from a devastating cruciate ligament rupture, aiming to be the influential central midfielder he was previously. "The surgeon did a great job and I feel completely fine now. I feel great," he says. "Coming back, you feel you are okay and that you are going to be the player you were before the injury.

"Last time I spoke to you, I said I want to be better than that. I feel I'm getting there. I've got a lot of things to improve on, parts of my game I need to work on. It takes a run of games. I believe in myself against anyone. I'll do as much as I can to get back into the team."

There is a straightforward response for cynics questioning whether he will be the same player again. Some people prematurely wrote him off after the European tie in Norway. Rather than blame head coach Steven Naismith for throwing him back into high-octane football after just one substitute appearance, Baningime stresses that he is accountable for his own performance.

"The opinions of people I don't know don't matter to me. I love the fans here," he explains. "After that game, me and the manager spoke. He said to me: 'Maybe I put you in too early.' I said: 'No, it's not your fault. You put me in there because you thought I had been doing well.' "That's why I like working with Naisy. Other managers would just say: 'I'll give you a chance and that's it.' He was asking if I was okay. Those games are going to happen but I'm stronger than that. I'm way stronger than that. If you want to play at the top, the opinions of other people don't matter one bit.

"I thrive off that. I love it. My whole career has been people writing me off. Why? Haven't got a clue. I have something to prove. That's not what keeps me or drives me, but in the back of my mind a lot of people have written me off. They said I wouldn't be back at the level I was at before. That's life. I'm ready for the challenge."

His contract at Tynecastle Park expires next summer and preliminary talks have taken place between Hearts officials and Baningime's agent. The player will not get too involved just now. "I need to get in the team so I'm not really thinking about the contract right now. I'm more focused on trying to get back into the team and get back to being myself.

"I like it at Hearts, I love the boys, I love the coaching staff and I love the city. It's a little bit cold for me but I do like it. I'm not in a rush to go anywhere. I need to be fine so I can't think about contracts when I'm not starting games every week. That's where my mind is at. I need to play. Whenever the gaffer thinks it's right, that's his decision. All I can do is try to play well and keep going."

When prompted, Baningime admits to feelings of unfinished business in Gorgie. He arrived from Everton in summer 2021 as Hearts returned to the Premiership, was injured in March 2022 and is only just getting back to normal as we near the end of 2023. He was robbed of more than a year of his career and feels a sense of loyalty to those who helped him recover.

"Before coming here, I didn't have any other team," he says. "This club means a lot to me and I wouldn't want to leave in a bad way. From a personal point of view, you want to play and I'm willing to work for that. If it happens, great. If it doesn't, then that's the manager's decision."

In an ideal world, he will sign a new deal, recapture top form and return to England in a transfer worth several million pounds. "If I do ever leave Hearts - which I'm not planning to right now - then I want it to be in the right way. I want it in a respectful way where everyone gets what they needed. Whether that's selling me, or whether I sign a new contract, whatever it is, I'm not really thinking about it right now. I want to get back into the team and help the boys."

Naismith now faces another important decision on whether to play Baningime from the start in a high-profile away fixture. Hearts face Rangers at Ibrox this weekend with changes to the team likely following Sunday's insipid 4-1 home loss to Celtic.

"It's a massive challenge but I feel ready. For about the last month, I have felt like myself. Before that, I was a little bit 'ugh'. Now I feel better," says Baningime. "All of us boys need to buck up because last week wasn't good enough for our standards. We need to be better. We are all looking forward to Ibrox."