Exclusive: Hearts' Alex Lowry explains why he is not 100 per cent and what he is waiting for after Rangers loan

The Tynecastle youngster will have a big role to play in maroon for the rest of the season.

Alex Lowry feels Hearts supporters have yet to see his full potential one month into his season-long loan from Rangers. He is convinced there is more to come and is still striving to build genuine momentum in a maroon shirt.

Four starts and three substitute appearances have given Hearts fans glimpses of Lowry’s ability so far, but the midfielder is not content with that. He wants to play a more influential role over the weeks and months ahead. He featured as a substitute in Thursday night’s Europa Conference League play-off defeat against PAOK in Greece and should be involved against Motherwell on Sunday.

“My aim is just to help Hearts as much as possible this season, take Hearts as far as I can and play as many games as possible,” explained Lowry, speaking exclusively to the Evening News. “I haven’t been myself 100 per cent so far. There are times when I think it has still to click. Hopefully it clicks sooner or later and I can start showing the fans what I can actually do.”

The 20-year-old was dejected following Hearts’ European exit in the Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki. He felt inspired by the hostile atmosphere and will aim to experience more of the same as his career develops. “I really enjoy it. I love when people are on my back and screaming abuse at me because it spurs me on to prove them wrong. It was good to play in that atmosphere,” he said.

“It was a great opportunity to play in front of a crazy fanbase. They made it loud and hostile but I was disappointed overall. Don’t get me wrong, PAOK are a good team but I feel we showed them too much respect at times. We weren’t sharp enough, we didn’t really try and play. They were a bit more aggressive than us and tried to implement their style quickly, which killed us.

“One of the main reasons I came here was to get European football, definitely. Unfortunately, we haven’t done that. I only got to play one Champions League game at Rangers and, obviously, it was unreal. To play a good amount of time in two European games with Hearts, I was delighted for myself and my family. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Hearts have still to decide which role suits Lowry best after playing him in a central attacking midfield position and wide on the left so far. The player is not set on a specific position and is happy to play wherever required.

Hearts midfielder Alex Lowry is eager to show fans his best form in a maroon shirt. Pic: SNS

“Wherever Hearts play me, I will play. I don’t get too worried about where I play on the pitch. I will play the same way, whether I’m on the left or in the middle,” he said. “I can play different roles and hopefully that can help the team. There is competition but I’ve had that throughout my first-team career, so it’s not new to me. I just need to go and prove to the manager that I’m the one who should be playing in that position.”