Frankie Kent strolling through life at Hearts as he discusses Scottish accents, clean sheets and Rangers

The towering Englishman has been a rock in central defence this season

Strolling out of Rugby Park on Saturday evening, Frankie Kent's proud demeanour illustrated a player at the top of his game. The Hearts defender wore a beaming smile after another clean sheet and three points against Kilmarnock as his Scottish adventure continues gaining momentum.

Kent is 28 and already a mainstay of the Tynecastle defence after just 21 games. A summer transfer from Peterborough United offered a chance of something different and he now understands many idiosyncrasies of the Scottish league. All of them have been met with the gusto that is the Englishman's trademark.

As the central cog in Hearts' three-man back line, Kent is a dependable linchpin who still intends to improve as the season continues. Three clean sheets in a run of four consecutive league wins suggest he is not doing too badly as it is.

"Yes, we just need to stay consistent. That's been the message since the start of the season," he told the Evening News. "Obviously we have taken a bit of time to do that but I think we're getting a solid team now in terms of the same line-up being picked. Everyone is getting into a rhythm and hopefully that can continue.

"I like being in the middle of the back three and it's nice just seeing the whole game. It's enjoyable playing with [Kye] Rowlesy and [Stephen] Kingsley either side of me. I just feel I'm being consistent and the team is doing that as well. The results are picking up now and the clean sheets are helping with that. It makes it look a bit better. I just want to be as consistent as I can.

"I've played every team now and I'm enjoying it. I know what to expect knowing the league a little bit more. It helps when you are winning games because things are definitely a lot easier and a lot better. In terms of getting used to everything up here, I feel I've done that really quickly. I'm into the run of it now. I've played 21 games now so it's gone by fast but there is still a long way to go."

Rangers provide a different level of opposition to the teams Hearts overcame on that four-game winning streak - Livingston, Motherwell, St Johnstone and Kilmarnock. "We can just take confidence out of the last four games and take the positives out of Saturday. We have played Rangers twice already and it's going to be a tough old game, but we are in a good place," observed Kent after Lawrence Shankland's deflected strike at Rugby Park propelled Hearts to third in the Premiership.

"If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be where we are," admitted the centre-back. "It's a team effort and Shanks is the one who sticks them away. We need to try and score a few more. We had a few chances here and there on Saturday, but I'm sure throughout the season everyone will chip in."

If there is an occasional issue cropping up, it is Essex-born Kent understanding the Scottish brogue. "I'm getting used to it a little bit now," he laughed. "A few times I hear a few boys talking and I have to properly concentrate, but it's all good."