World Cup target for Australia midfielder

Discussions between Hearts and Cammy Devlin’s representatives are ongoing in effort to agree a new contract, with head coach Derek McInnes reiterating his desire to keep the Australian in Edinburgh. Devlin’s deal expires at the end of the season and club officials are making an extra push to extend it and secure the player’s long-term future.

McInnes handed Devlin the captain’s armband against Aberdeen last week and described the popular midfielder as “authentic” and a “proper boy” when outlining Hearts’ attempts to keep him. Since joining the club in 2021, Devlin has been a first-team regular and is currently playing some of his best football with Hearts top of the William Hill Premiership.

Sporting director Graeme Jones is in talks with Devlin’s agent as his current agreement approaches its final six months - the point at which a player can legally discuss a pre-contract with other clubs. “Cammy knows how much we want him to be here. We've spoken about that. I'd love him to stay beyond this season,” stated McInnes. “At the minute, I think Graeme Jones and his agent are still having discussions, so that's part of it I don't get involved in.

“I've made it clear that we want him to be here, and hopefully that can be the outcome. I think Cammy loves being here. He spoke brilliantly about being the captain, which was nice to hear, and I think that's genuine. I think Cammy's authentic. I think he's a proper boy. I think he loves being here. He's had good and bad times here. He's always shown his love for the club. Hopefully, we can work together a bit longer, but it's not something that I'm obsessed with at the minute, or that I can control.”

McInnes sees Devlin as one of Hearts’ most influential players, in line with club captain Lawrence Shankland and others like Frankie Kent, Craig Halkett, Stuart Findlay and Stephen Kingsley. The manager acknowledged that Devlin leads by example every day in training with his professional approach to football.

“Yeah, you've got him. Aye, that's him,” he said. “I think I'm fortunate, as I've said to you boys for a while now. Lawrence takes the team down the tunnel, and he's a proper captain, and he's got so much gravitas. I've been so impressed with Lawrence as a person and how he deals with that. We've got good people round about him. I could have landed on Frankie Kent [for the captaincy] last Sunday, but I just thought: 'It's your first game since August, probably just concentrate on your own game.'

“Halkett, Findlay, Devlin, Kingsley, they're all good types. They're all there to share the burden with that. And Cammy trains right. The fans see him on a Saturday, but we see him exactly like that on a Monday to Friday. I think you need players like that at your club. I think you need people who set the demand and bark out instructions and demand standards. The players I've mentioned there are all a big part of that.”

Devlin is also motivated by a chance to make the Australia squad for next summer’s World Cup finals. Recalled to the squad in October, he also travelled for friendlies in November but has yet to add to the four caps he won previously. “Yeah, I think naturally he's gutted [at not playing for Australia in either of the last two international breaks],” said McInnes. “Obviously, the Scotland boys came back on such a high. [Landry] Kabore gets a high from his hat-trick. James Wilson gets his Under-21 goal.

“Then Cammy's been away and diligently goes and turns up and is just bursting to go on the pitch. It's so important for him to represent his country. I love how passionate he is about it. I love the anticipation before a squad is named. He's not shy or pretending he's not that bothered. He wants to be in it. He's clearly wanting to play his part. I like that.

“Sometimes you just need to keep turning up for your country. There are people ahead of you for whatever reason. Maybe the manager's got a better relationship with these people over a period of time. The fact he's there in the squad or thereabouts shows you he's not too far away. Sometimes you need to keep turning up and turning up and showing the manager. And then eventually, hopefully, you get your chance. That seems to be the way it might be for Cammy. Hopefully, it is anyway.”