Jorge Grant reveals Hearts contract hope with star settled by family boost as he prepares to be a dad again

The midfielder has until the end of next season left on his Hearts contract.

The midfielder has a Hearts contract wish.

Jorge Grant insists he is open to Hearts contract talks if the club are willing to have them.

The midfielder scored a penalty in a 2-1 win over St Mirren on Saturday, as the Tynecastle side moved closer to cementing the Premiership’s third spot. Livingston come to Tynecastle before the split and Hearts are currently 11 points clear of fourth-placed Kilmarnock.

Grant has scored four goals with six assists in 30 games this season, and has been given a boost off the park with his family now with him in Edinburgh. His partner is pregnant and due to give birth this summer, and it’s been a source of comfort for the 29-year-old to have her and three-year-old son Frankie alongside him.

His current deal in Gorgie expires at the end of next season. When asked if his family situation helps with his long-term thinking over his future, Grant told the Edinburgh Evening News: "That's up to the club really.

“I am happy here and if they ever want to talk about that I am totally open to that. I really enjoy it here, the family have moved up and they are enjoying it here, I can only concentrate on my football and hopefully that comes in the future.

“My family are up. A lot of people have been visiting a bit more over the last six months. It's a lot better. It's been tough without them and my missus is pregnant again so it was important she was up here with me. It's important she is with us and I can help her out with the little man as well. It's nice to have that normal life when you are finished training. It’s back to normal, really.

“As I said in my first year, I wanted to be playing a little bit more but that is normal for any footballer when they are not playing. Everyone wants to be on the pitch and the start of the season started a bit slow for me. Over the last two or three months I have gotten a lot of minutes under my belt and shown I can produce in moments and there is still a lot more to come from me."

Grant is now one of the elder statesman in midfield, as much as he doesn’t like admitting it. Macaulay Tait and Aidan Denholm both featured alongside him in Paisley and while he isn’t shouting the house down, he wants to pass on advice to those around him.

He said: "I am sort of one of the older ones, I don't like to say it! I feel that responsibility is on me when I am playing. Lots of talking, helping out the younger lads on the pitch and especially off it. Trying to help where I can is important.

“When I was at Lincoln City I was vice-captain and that was quite a young squad, but more in front of me. The actual midfield was similar age to what I was at the time so I feel I have always been a talker on the pitch anyway. Not a massive shouter, but talking on the pitch to help each other is important."

The blustery Storm Kathleen conditions in Paisley proved tough, but Hearts without talisman Lawrence Shankland leading the line were able to grind out victory. There could have been more comfort, but Grant is just happy victory was achieved.

He added: "Conditions were tough. Because it's such a small stadium you feel that wind really strong with us second half and against us first half, but I felt we dealt with it well.

"I think definitely first half was different as when they went long we could sort of let it go through whereas second half was more about winning those first and second balls. You have to adapt to the conditions but you still have to play your stuff which I felt we did at times. We could have been a bit more comfortable if we played it more on the floor but it was just the way the conditions were."