Hearts release emotional tribute video to former captain Marius Zaliukas

Hearts have released an emotional tribute video to former captain Marius Zaliukas after his tragic death at the age of 36.

Hearts captain Marius Zaliukas is all smiles after bringing the Scottish Cup trophy back to Tynecastle to celebrate with the fans in 2012. Picture: SNS

The four-minute long footage shows an array of the Lithuanian’s goals from his seven years at Tynecastle as he became the club’s leading appearance holder for a foreign player.

It also includes footage from the famous 2012 Scottish Cup final victory over Hibs, where Zaliukas captained the side to victory and lifted the trophy after the full-time whistle with tears in his eyes.

It was during Saturday’s semi-final, the first Hearts-Hibs derby at the national stadium since 2012, that Zaliukas’ death was announced. The Lithuanian FA confirmed the news in a statement, saying the former defender had contracted motor neurone disease “four or five years ago”.

Manager Robbie Neilson dedicated the 2-1 victory at the weekend to his former team-mate, while several other ex-members of the Tynecastle dressing room also paid tribute to his memory.

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