Hearts keeper Zdenek Zlamal reveals why he will keep calm and carry on

Zdenek Zlamal is determined to keep his composure during Hearts' relegation fight

Were Zdenek Zlamal to arrive for this interview in a t-shirt bearing the ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ slogan, it might have rendered the chat pointless. The Hearts goalkeeper is preparing for tonight’s Premiership visit to St Mirren, and indeed his club’s entire relegation battle, in a firmly composed state of mind.

He is determined not to become flustered, a message he conveys several times throughout the conversation. The Czech is 34 years old and experienced relegation fights in his homeland and Spain. He therefore knows the gravity of Hearts’ predicament sitting three points adrift at the bottom of the league.

Zlamal is also aware he cannot afford to lose equanimity. Everyone is relying on him to keep opponents at bay and let others score the goals to potentially drag Hearts to safety. The number of goals conceded has notably reduced since he replaced Joel Pereira as the last line of defence nearly four weeks ago, but he refuses to wallow in the improvement.

“It's true that we are better in defence but, for me, it's still not good enough. We are still bottom of the league,” he told the Evening News. “The quality of our team belongs in a different league position. I am positive but big games are ahead.

“Tonight is a huge game but now every game is like this. We are under a bit of pressure. I think the best way is to be calm and don't think about the pressure. If we play with big pressure, I don't think we will be calm.

“Sometimes we feel it and we make a couple of mistakes. This is a big game against St Mirren, we have to focus on that and stay calm. It is a massive game.

“I have been in this position a couple of times and, in my experience, it is best to stay calm. I don't know about other people. We stayed up the other times, except once when we were relegated while I was injured. I have some experience of this in Czech Republic and Spain.”

Zlamal has gone from one extreme to the other in 20 months at Tynecastle Park. He simply did not expect this scenario, and he is not alone. “To be honest, never,” he admitted. “Last year, I remember talking to you and we won all those games, no defeats in 13 matches, and we had a good team.

“We were thinking totally opposite to now - that we could be champions. That's life, it's up and down and up and down. Everything is not perfect and that is the same in football. At the moment, we have to save this club in the league for next year.”

His own fortunes have been similarly mixed this season. Tonight will be just his 13 appearance of the season, largely due to the arrival of Pereira on loan from Manchester United last August. Zlamal is motivated to retain his position through to the summer regardless of Hearts’ situation, but again he is wary of allowing emotions to affect his professional mindset.

“This season has been a rollercoaster for me. When I experience something bad, I try not to be so sad. I try to accept the situation,” he explained. “Now that I am back, I try not to be euphoric. Again, it is just about being calm and focused.

“If something great happens, stay calm. If something bad happens, you must also stay calm. That is my way. It is not about me just now. It is just about Hearts. We must save the club and keep them in the top league.”

This evening’s encounter in Paisley could prove pivotal in that regard. St Mirren are positioned directly above Hearts, three points better off, with Hamilton a further point ahead of Jim Goodwin’s side. It is the proverbial relegation six-pointer.

In 12 visits to St Mirren over the last ten years, Hearts have managed only one league win. That came back in 2010. They managed a victory on Greenhill Road in the Scottish Cup in 2012, but the paucity of success there is remarkable.

St Mirren are more familiar with scrapping for points and fighting for survival at the bottom of the table. Goodwin himself was involved in many such situations as a player in Paisley and will call on every ounce of his experience.

To counter it, Hearts must aim to rely on the quality within their ranks. Experienced internationalists like Steven Naismith, Liam Boyce and Michael Smith will again be asked to show their leadership this evening.

"I think St Mirren have a little advantage because they are playing to survive in the league more often than Hearts,” said Zlamal. “They have more experience in this situation than us.

“It is still one game and, for us, it is very important to win. That would help our confidence and keep us going after the last three matches. Like the gaffer said, it was a successful week for us and we want it to continue.”