'I'm more than a substitute' - Sabah Kerjota makes his Hearts point amid disbelief at Benfica tie

Waiting and waiting and waiting. Sabah Kerjota is used to it. He spent 10 years holding out for a moment like this Thursday in Benfica’s Estadio da Luz. He spent more than a year merely waiting to start a match after joining Hearts. Patience is a virtue, so the saying goes, and the Albanian is ready to reap the rewards for his perseverance.

Kerjota arrived in Edinburgh from Sambenedettese last summer after lighting up Italy’s Serie D. An unknown in Scottish quarters, the winger had to fight for game time under then-Hearts manager Derek McInnes. He managed 19 appearances last season, often impressing as a substitute, but grew tired of the bit-part role. He had worked for more than a decade to build a career in football and wasn’t about to give up.

Finally, on Saturday at Pittodrie, Wouter Vrancken named Kerjota in his starting line-up. Now, he could find himself involved against the might of Benfica. “Yeah, Aberdeen was my first start but I was waiting for it. My performance was okay. I think I can do much better,” said the 24-year-old after the 2-1 defeat. “I can do more one-against-ones, create more chances and get more assists. I feel I can do it and the team can do better, for sure. When the team plays better, then you play better so I am confident of that.

“These are the first games so it's normal to not be at the top right now. The team was named the day before and I was so happy to be in the team because it's the first time. I have been working hard. Last year, I always showed that I can be something more than a substitute. I was waiting for my chance. Now, with the new coach, everyone has the chance to show himself. I think everyone needs minutes in the legs, but it depends on the player. Some players can feel good after two or three weeks. Maybe others need more time. It depends. I will just keep pushing hard and I think this will be a good year for us.

“Last year was hard for me, but when you are in a team that keeps winning every week then it's difficult to say something. The team was really tough to play against. The difference this year is that we try to play more. The new coach is more for me because he likes to play football. I prefer to play more this year. It's very different and it's difficult to do this in Scotland, but we saw Motherwell did it really well last year. Why can we not do the same?”

Vrancken sees wingers as a key component of his attack-minded team and expects them to contribute heavily. “He wants what I was doing last year and what I have been doing this year in training,” explained Kerjota. “From the wingers, he needs much more responsibility. He needs us to take the ball and try to influence the match. Sometimes you can do it, sometimes not. We have a lot of wingers so it will be difficult to play. Someone will always find there is not enough space, but this is football and you have to accept it.”

Kerjota can’t quite believe he is about to face a club who have twice been European champions just a year into his Hearts career. The diminutive wide man will stride out of the tunnel in Lisbon bursting with pride at his own footballing journey. “I will be thinking about the young guy who was training in Albania 10 or 11 years ago. I never thought I would one day go to play against Benfica in Lisbon with 60,000 fans in the stadium,” he said.

“I will feel like I did it, like I achieved something, but this is just the first game like this. I want much more of them, and why not with Hearts? Every one of us will give their best because these are the games where you have to show yourself. If we win, we go to the Europa League play-off. If we lose it's Conference League. It's a big moment for us. It's a big chance for us to show ourselves and to show Hearts can compete in these matches. We need to put in two great matches without making mistakes. In football, you never know. For us, it will be two games that will stay in our minds for sure.”

Thursday will be the biggest game of his career and comes at a time when Hearts’ reputation is rising after last season’s sustained Premiership title challenge. “The game against Celtic in May was one of the biggest of my career, but this one is different because we are playing Benfica,” said Kerjota. “They are a team that always plays in the Champions League and competes with great teams in Europe. It will be one of the best matches. I know some of the players because they are big names. Playing against them makes you feel proud. It will be a really hard game but we will try to win.

“Every game that we play now, sometimes you feel weird. When I came here last year, people knew the story of Hearts but before the club had some years which were not great. Now, everyone knows us. We need to do our best. Why not go forward in the Europa League? If not, we have the Conference League. It's a great competition for us players and for the club.”