Hearts’ Gordon Smith’s season could be over

HEARTS striker Gordon Smith is in danger of missing the final weeks of the season after sustaining a nasty ankle injury in last night’s Under-20 match against Motherwell.

Gordon Smith. Picture: SNS

The 22-year-old was substituted after 39 minutes of the game, which finished 1-1, and is awaiting a full diagnosis.

Smith has managed only two senior appearances since the turn of the year and is out of contract in a matter of weeks. His chances of impressing manager Gary Locke before the end of the campaign have now been seriously hindered. Hearts’ medical staff will 
assess the ankle again once swelling fully reduces but, with only five games remaining until the end of the Scottish Premier League season, the player will be concerned that he may be sidelined until the summer.

By then he is likely to find himself a free agent. Kallum Higginbotham opened
the scoring with a powerful strike from distance after 
36 minutes of last night’s 
encounter at Fir Park. Hearts’ equaliser arrived four minutes from the end when Billy King converted a rebound 
after his initial shot was saved by 
Motherwell keeper Lee Hollis.

Meanwhile, the Hearts 
Under-20 winger Sam Nicholson has been called into to the Scotland Under-18 squad 
for next week’s matches against Israel. He joins fellow Tynecastle youth players Jordan McGhee and Adam King in the squad for the friendlies on April 22 and 24 in Shefayim.