Big week with Premiership games against Hibs and Rangers

Six games into his career in Scotland, Jordi Altena is still adjusting to a new club, a new country and a new style of football after leaving his native Netherlands. Heart of Midlothian is a very different animal to RKC Waalwijk, from where Altena was signed last month for a fee exceeding £500,000. The right-back is learning quickly that every minute on the pitch is precious in the 200-miles-an-hour Scottish Premiership.

He is enjoying the relentlessness of an ongoing Hearts title challenge and now understands he won’t play in every game. The Edinburgh club visit Rangers on Sunday after a dramatic late derby win against Hibs on Tuesday night. Altena must wait to learn if he will feature from the start at Ibrox or, as in midweek, be given a substitute’s role. He won’t complain either way, it’s not his style. The situation has already been explained to him in explicit detail.

Hearts head coach Derek McInnes is nothing if not honest with his squad. There are mainstays and automatic starters like Craig Halkett, Harry Milne, Cammy Devlin and Lawrence Shankland. Others are no less important but won’t find themselves in the starting line-up quite as regularly. Altena is in the second category. He is still only 22 and, in his six appearances so far, demonstrated strong technique and attacking instinct. Defensively, he is still learning how quickly some Scottish teams will launch balls in behind an opposition full-back.

For that reason, Hearts will use the Dutchman as and when they see fit. Certain games require Michael Steinwender’s pace, others may need Oisin McEntee’s physicality. There is also the Norwegian Christian Borchgrevink in reserve if required. Altena detailed his talks with McInnes to the Edinburgh News and the explanation given for right-back rotation.

“It’s my opinion, and also the gaffer’s opinion, that I’m training good and I did well in the minutes I’ve played,” he said. “It’s more tactical when he chooses another right-back. He wants me to get some football into the team when I play, but if he wants some more height or he expects more long balls from the other team - for example, St Mirren - then he puts a taller right-back in. That’s his opinion and that’s okay.”

The manager’s open and frank approach is appreciated by the player. “Of course, yes. For me, it’s quite a bit strange when you play and then the next game you are on the bench, but I think we have a big group so it’s very good to be part of that. We are going to see where it ends. Of course it’s a disappointment [not starting matches]. I’m a player who hates to be on the bench but I’m not the guy to complain. You will never hear me complain because I will always work hard. You have to look at the whole team and I’m a new guy so I can’t really complain. I’m happy that he brought me on against Hibs and that I could do something.”

Hearts named Altena in their starting line-up against Livingston, Dundee, Falkirk and Dundee United. Substitute outings came against St Mirren and Hibs, with Tuesday night standing out for the defender. Harry Milne’s cross for Tomas Magnusson’s 88th-minute winner left Tynecastle raucous at the end of a frantic Edinburgh derby. “It’s the loudest sound I ever heard. It was a quick game for me, l think 15 minutes, but it was the best 15 minutes of the game so it was great to be part of that,” said Altena.

“The gaffer just wanted some attacking fresh legs. He wanted me to run, be comfortable on the ball, keep the ball and maybe get some crosses in. Harry made the cross for us to score so I’m happy with that. With this team, you can expect a goal at any time because there is so much character. Even if we are under pressure, we can always do something.

“We were putting Hibs under pressure and the feeling was we were going to score a goal. I had that feeling. During the season, we have scored many goals in the last few minutes. This is not a one-time thing. We always have confidence to score. Besides, it’s a derby. That makes it important and it’s more important because we go to Ibrox this weekend. Now we go there three points up, so it was a big result.

“I don’t really know what to expect on Sunday because I’m new but I think it’s going to be another really intense game. Rangers are a big club in history and in Scotland so it’s going to be tough. Nobody has told me a lot about Rangers yet but Scottish football is very intense. Rangers are one of the big clubs so I think it’s going to be a hard game.”