Hearts star names ally at Rangers who's helped him through injury woe and one thought never crossing his mind

He’s had his fair share of injuries - but a former Hearts player has proven a key ally for Craig Halkett in his recoveries.

Torn knee ligaments in 19/20, two hamstring injuries during 22/23, a cruciate against Dundee United in 2022, knee problems last season and a hamstring injury lasting over a month period this campaign. The defender has not had it easy in maroon but neither did former teammate and current Rangers centre-back John Souttar.

He has endured three separate Achilles injuries and had other issues over his career but has still managed to enjoy success in the game, making himself a Scotland international. Souttar was at Hearts between 2016-2022 with Halkett taking inspiration from the national team man.

Inspiration from former Hearts teammate

Halkett added the one thing that never crossed his mind was calling a day on his career: “I've spoken to a lot of players that have been in similar positions. If you look back three or four years, John Soutter was here in my position. His was probably a lot worse, to be honest, with the extent of injuries that he got. They were real bad ones. So looking up to him, being quite close to him and seeing what he came back from, it was really helpful, to be honest.

“You see that it's a part of football. Some people are really lucky. You can go through the whole career without picking up anything. And then other people are a wee bit unlucky. I see myself on the kind of unlucky side. I don't think it's anything that I've done away from football. I live the way I think I should. I try to be a good professional on and off the park. So I think it's more just unlucky.

“I never thought about just chucking it. I always just wanted to get back. The times that I've got injured, I’ve been quite lucky. There's always been something to come back and fight for and play for. It was just someone who I got on with really well when I came here. He's a great player and someone I looked up to even though I'm similar age as him. It was what he'd done throughout the game. I respected him massively as a player.

“I just got on with him really well when he was here. Even since he's left, we've kept in touch through his speak most weeks. He's gone on to do good things at Rangers. He's just a good friend. Like I said, with the position I've been in with injuries, where he's been, it's good to have someone like that you can talk to.”

Latest injury

It was a twinge in a home game against Kilmarnock earlier this year that ruled Halkett out again, returning to a Premiership matchday squad for Hearts last weekend against Celtic. Now ahead of this week’s crucial game against Dundee United in the race for Europe and the top six, all focus is on a continued career on the pitch for years to come.

Halkett said: “Six or seven minutes in. It was just my hamstring. It just came from the sprint and the boy ran across me and I just changed direction awkwardly. I just felt like a wee twinge. It was nothing major, it wasn't a bad tear, I wasn't needing any surgery or stuff like that. I spoke to the medical staff and it was just because of how tough the last two or three years have been that we wanted to take our time and make sure we got ourselves in a much better position coming back now than we maybe had done in the past.

“I'm still only 29, so I've still got another good five, six, seven years left in the game. This injury has just all been focused on getting back as quick as I can without rushing anything. I've been there before, rushed to get back to playing certain games. Unluckily for me, it's not worked for me. I knew I had to take my time with this injury, work harder. I've got myself in the best shape I think I've been in in a long time.

“I'm getting older now. I maybe can't do the same things that I could do six or seven years ago when I was 21 or 22. That's just wee habits that you pick up from more experienced pros. Pros that you look up to. You just ask for wee hints and tips. Just things that maybe they've done in their career which they've found work for them. I don't think it's the same for everyone. It's just you go through different things and you find out what works for you. I’m hoping this time the wee things that have pleased will work for me.”