Malaury Martin desperate to get back amongst '˜craziness' at Hearts

Watching the mayhem unfold from Tynecastle Park's new main stand on Saturday left Malaury Martin craving more. A player endeared by Scottish football's 'craziness', the French midfielder could only wish he was on the field participating in the chaos between Hearts and Hamilton.
Malaury Martin is eager to get back in the pitch after injury and help Hearts start winning matches once again. Pic: SNSMalaury Martin is eager to get back in the pitch after injury and help Hearts start winning matches once again. Pic: SNS
Malaury Martin is eager to get back in the pitch after injury and help Hearts start winning matches once again. Pic: SNS

Watching the mayhem unfold from Tynecastle Park’s new main stand on Saturday left Malaury Martin craving more. A player endeared by Scottish football’s “craziness”, the French midfielder could only wish he was on the field participating in the chaos between Hearts and Hamilton.

Martin is three to four weeks away from returning after rupturing a tendon in his groin. The injury added more hardship to an already difficult year for the 29-year-old. He is frustrated by a lack of fitness and game time, but Saturday’s events merely reinforced his desire to get himself back on the pitch.

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Hearts had teenager Jamie Brandon sent off before manager Craig Levein and his assistant Austin MacPhee were ordered to the stand during the tempestuous 1-1 draw with Hamilton. Martin was seated just a few rows from where Levein and MacPhee ended up. He admitted being excited by the fiery nature of the game and the raucous atmosphere which ensued.

“Honestly, it was really exciting in the stand. It was nice. You want to play in games like that,” he said. “It’s not only good play that fans react to. Sometimes it’s when players show passion and character. It can help us if the players really feel the atmosphere and it can be tough for the opposition because it could turn their legs to jelly.

“I was sitting behind the home dugout so I had a good view but I was trying to focus more on the game. When the incidents happened I was like: ‘Oh oh, what’s going on?’ I saw that more on the TV afterwards than live. Some games can be like that where crazy things happen. It can be down to the pressure of the game.

“I know it makes a great story but I was in the dressing-room after the game and the talk was more about the actual match than the incidents. Even the Hamilton players were shaking hands after the game. I didn’t see a problem. If you watch the match there wasn’t one punch or one really crazy moment. I’ve seen worse situations where there was actual fighting.

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“I’m there for every game and I have been going to some away games as well. It’s better to see the game than on television because you see many more different things. It was crazy but I enjoyed it, honestly. I enjoyed this crazy game, I felt the atmosphere was really good.”

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What wasn’t so enjoyable was the fact his club dropped another two points at home. Since returning to Tynecastle, Hearts have now taken just three points from nine against bottom-six sides Partick Thistle, Ross County and Hamilton.

“We probably need to show more craziness on the pitch than off it but the atmosphere was brilliant in this game,” continued Martin. “I have been involved in games that are crazier many times. It’s normal, when you know you need points the tension is there but it’s not a big deal. Most important is the next games. We need to win at home and hopefully we can have a good run.

“It’s difficult to say but this is a tough period that is for sure. Frustration is a good term for everybody, even myself because I cannot help the team. I see my partners, my friends, my colleagues, they are obviously not happy with what happened in the last few weeks and everyone wants this first victory in front of the new main stand. Hopefully it will arrive this week [against Motherwell].

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“It’s a bit like a striker going through a tough period of not scoring, he scores one then ten in a row. I think that’s the same with us. We need this first victory because everyone was expecting it. We’ve had some problems with the stand and now we’re here we need this first victory. When it arrives I think many more will come.”

Whether Martin is still in Edinburgh to participate in any potential winning run remains to be seen. Levein intends to ship players out during the January transfer window and the Frenchman has been on the periphery of the squad since the end of last season under former coach Ian Cathro.

He won’t look too far ahead at the moment, comforted by the fact the Hearts contract he signed in January this year runs until summer 2020. “You have to ask the manger [about January]. He has his opinion. I have a long contract and I want to stay but I don’t know his opinion,” stated Martin.

“He wants to bring players in but I have to focus on my injury and try to come back to help the team when I am fit. I honestly don’t look at January at the moment. It’s about my injury first and then we will see. I didn’t have a talk with the manager about January so I don’t know his opinion. I want to be back fit and try to help the team.

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“I am trying to be okay. I started running last week so, for the moment, I am doing okay. It will be maybe three or four weeks. I tore my tendon at the top of the quadricep. We can say it’s a s**t injury because it’s a small thing which puts you out for almost three months.

“It’s a bad moment for me and there is frustration, obviously. I need to come back stronger but I need time to be fit. I hope I will be fit after Christmas.”

• Malaury Martin was speaking at Tesco Corstorphine to promote the Edinburgh Christmas Cheer Dinner.

Hearts have joined forced with city rivals Hibs and NHS Lothian to lay on specially organised events to feed up to 400 people in need on Christmas Day.

Tynecastle and Easter Road will host the food, which will be supplied by Tesco stores across the Capital over the festive period.