Hearts newly crowned Young Player of the Season is "playing well beyond her years"

After being out for over a year, Monica Forsyth has made the pitch her own since returning in November.

The winger has been one of Hearts star players this season with long layoff seemingly having no effect on the future star. Her consistent performances over the last five months have paid off as the 19-year-old won the Young Player of the Season for the club despite missing the first three-and-a-half months of the season. Assistant manager Sean Burt was full of praise for the youngster after she received her award last week.

“She is playing well beyond her years,” Burt told the Edinburgh Evening News. “She is so young but you see how clever she is on the pitch. She is a fantastic talent and it is a testament to her, when you come back from those injuries you can sometimes shy away from difficult situations. Monica [Forsyth] has shown real strength of character and ultimately she is reaping the rewards on the pitch at the moment. She is a real standout for us. It is a testament to her character as well, she has filled in in a lot of positions for us this season too. It is a fantastic reward and she is a worthy win, all the nominees too were worthy nominees too.”

It is the second time Forsyth has won the award. The winger also came out on top two years ago in her debut season for the club. Since then, both the 19-year-old and Hearts have progressed massively on the pitch over the course of this season. On Sunday, Forsyth played a massive role as the Jam Tarts scored a 93rd-minute equaliser away to Rangers.

Monica Forsyth's side sit fourth, nine points clear of Hibs. Credit: Malcolm Mackenzie/SWPL

“Monica [Forsyth] has been absolutely incredible the last few weeks,” Burt added. “She has really come onto her game. It’s a testament to her, she has come back from a long-term injury and has really kicked on. In the second half of the season, she is influencing gams magnificently. You could see that she is a real threat and I thought if anything was going to be created in the second half it was going to be through her, that’s a testament to her. She was up against a real quality fullback in [Rachael] McLauchlan, brilliant for her.”