Josh McPake: I'm loving Hearts and my song - and I'm ready for step up
Winger sets his eyes on Scotland call-up after dominating the Edinburgh derby
It was Josh McPake’s birthday earlier this week. Whatever presents the Hearts winger got on Monday, they won’t have been better than the gift he gave the Tynecastle faithful three days later.
McPake was already a fans’ favourite with the Jambos prior to his stellar performance at Easter Road as Hearts defeated Hibs 3-1 to win the first Edinburgh derby of the season. But he elevated his status with a performance that lit up this fixture.
The 25-year-old set up the opening Hearts goal by skinning Hibs full-back Felix Passlack and finding James Wilson, before scoring the clinching goal to make it 3-1 with a fine solo effort to quell any fears of a home fightback. All in front of the new Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli. We’ll get to that later.
McPake took the acclaim of Easter Road’s packed South Stands. The Hearts fans belted out his song to the tune of Abba’s Dancing Queen. It is a tune that was heard many a time at his former club St Johnstone last term and has been transferred to the Gorgie support. Especially after leading Hibs a merry dance.
“It was amazing,” beamed McPake of the tune. “Obviously, when I was at St Johnstone, I wasn't sure if it would make it over here, but it definitely did. I loved every minute of it.”
Last season it was Claudio Braga who was on the lips of the supporters. “Actually, when it was actually getting sang, he said that to me,” laughed McPake. “I don't think he was too happy, but I'm pleased so I'll take it.”
McPake was allowed to be jokey after doing the hard work on the pitch. The winger terrorised Hibs as part of a daring Hearts forward line, but was also prepared to work hard and track back. The visitors more than deserved their win at Easter Road.
“I absolutely loved it,” McPake said of the game. “Obviously, getting the goal and the assist just tops it off. It was absolutely amazing. I know maybe a bit biased because we won, but the atmosphere was brilliant. Obviously, that's my first one, like you said. I thought the Hearts fans were amazing as well and I loved every minute of it.”
McPake oozing with confidence
McPake must be a nightmare to play against right now. He operates with one thing on his mind: attack the opposition. “I think it's just that confidence I've got at the moment,” he explained. It's just kind of getting at my full-back as quick as I can.
“As soon as I get the ball, I'm looking to drive at him and make sure I get in and around the box. Because once you get in and around the box, that's where the goals are scored from.
“So that's my real aim, to get in and around the box, shift onto my left, get a cross, or shift onto my right and get a shot off.”
McPake’s confidence is coming from the belief in his own abilities and the work he has done on the training pitch. “Probably working on my game, I think,” he reasoned of his current form. “Just the hard work that you put in, that you know you've put in behind the scenes probably.
“I know I've worked on my fitness, my speed and my end product a lot, so I have that confidence going into games. If I go in with the right attitude and the right frame of mind, these things will come.”
His efforts did not go unnoticed by his head coach Wouter Vrancken, who sung McPake’s praises post-match. Not just for his attacking potency, but his work-rate in defence too.
Asked what Vrancken demands of him, McPake said: “Kind of doing the hard yards back the way. I think he's very, very demanding on that. You need to do that to get your rewards going forward.
“I think Calvin [Miller] on the other side is the same. Once you do that hard yards back the way, you get that freedom going forward. And the way we play, I feel it suits me very, very well. And I'm reaping the rewards so far.”
So much so that there is now talk of a Scotland call-up. Capped at under-21 level, McPake has never been close to the senior set-up. But with a national team head coach in Pocognoli, who watched on with interest from the Easter Road stands, the winger must be on the radar of the Belgian’s first squad later this month.
McPake admits it is an ambition of his. “It's a massive goal for everyone, I think,” said McPake. “But, like I've said before, I'm just taking it one game at a time at the moment. I'm a Hearts player right now, and I've still got a good few games until the international break. So my full focus is on Hearts and listening to things that should come naturally. But it's not in my hands.
A sign of McPake’s growing confidence was his response to the burning question: Do you feel ready for a step like that? “I do,” her fired back. “Obviously, even when I was at St Johnstone, I think people would ask me all the time if I felt ready for the step up to Hearts.
“And I said, yeah, I do feel like I'm ready for that step up, but it's not my decision to make, and hopefully performances like tonight might help my case there.”
A few more performances like Thursday and best present McPake could wish for will come sooner rather than later.