Birmingham City midfielder made his debut at Tynecastle Park

Marc Leonard is the embodiment of composure for someone who has just finished a wild Hearts debut to end a chaotic week. Much like his commanding display out on the Tynecastle Park pitch against Celtic, the midfielder is unflustered and very much in control while discussing the last few days. They have been among the most testing of his career, and he has loved every minute.

Of course, Leonard already knew what playing for Hearts involved. Or, at least, he had an inkling. After four years in the Riccarton youth academy, he left for Brighton and Hove Albion in 2018 without making a first-team appearance. Returning to Gorgie was not realistically in his thoughts but, when the opportunity arose, he didn’t hesitate. Talks with Hearts head coach Derek McInnes spiked the 24-year-old’s interest and a loan deal from parent club Birmingham City was finalised on Friday.

Leonard the found himself catapulted into a white-hot fixture two days later as the Premiership leaders drew 2-2 with the reigning champions. He went through the full repertoire of sliding tackles, late challenges, headers, bumps and bruises, some classy passing, a bit of swagger, plus some excellent set-play deliveries. Replacing the injured Cammy Devlin is no mean feat but, after a slow start, Leonard strolled around like he owned the place.

He also claimed an assist for Hearts’ first goal by delivering the corner for Stuart Findlay’s header. Several days of relentless mayhem peaked on Sunday and it was exactly what the midfielder needed. “It was intense. Playing Celtic after the last 48 hours was a bit carnage for myself,” Leonard explains. “I managed to get a training session in on Saturday with the boys. I was in the building on Friday meeting everyone. It was good and I’m glad I got through it.

“I spoke to the manager during the week before the deal went through and he instilled a lot of trust in me straight away. Even on the phone. He just said to me: ‘Come in and play your game.’ He gave me some tactical points out of possession and told me what to expect. You can’t ask for much more from a manager than to put that trust in you and throw you straight in. He just said to me: ‘Go and play your own game, go and get on the ball.’ I tried to do that.

“It was huge [speaking with McInnes] because I’d spoken to a few other clubs. At the time, nothing had really prompted me to get out [of Birmingham]. As soon as I spoke to the manager here, it was chalk and cheese with the other conversations I’d had. I knew straight away that was the manager I wanted to play and that Hearts, reconnecting with the club, was so exciting.

“It feels different. I had to sweep the changing rooms when I was here before. Just getting changed was a different feeling, for sure. It’s just really good to be back. It doesn’t feel much different, Gogsy [kitman] is still there and everybody else, so it’s been great. Jamie Walker was there before, and Sam Nicholson. There were some big characters and they always made the young boys feel welcome. You liked hanging around the first team, even if they were just giving you a bit of banter.”

There was plenty of that flying around at Tynecastle on Sunday, as is the norm when Hearts play Celtic. The stadium rocked to a deafening noise as supporters did their bit to help their team’s Premiership title push. “It was brilliant, we were saying that after the game,” says Leonard. “I’ve never really heard anything like it. It was unreal. The manager didn’t tell me in full that I would be starting the game when we spoke, but he said: ‘We really need someone with the qualities you have. If we can get you in and get you a training session, you will have a good chance of playing in the game if you feel ready for it.’ I was totally ready for it.

“The last 10 minutes were a bit of a struggle and I took a little knock. I thought: ‘Oh, God.’ But it was great. As a footballer, that’s just what you want to do - play 90 minutes. I was happy to grind it out no matter what, so I was buzzing. I wasn’t playing as much as I wanted to [at Birmingham] and that’s a huge thing, especially at my age. I’ve established myself, I know what I’m good at, I want to be playing now. I drove it myself because I thought: ‘I want to go and start playing again.’

“Last year, we went on a great run with Birmingham and broke the world points record. That was great. It’s all experiences which can hopefully benefit this team. That’s what I hope to do. My family were excited at me coming back. I didn’t tell them until everything had gone through, just not to jinx anything, and they were buzzing.”

Walking into the Hearts dressing room, it was impossible to miss the burning desire to win the league title. “Yes, 100 per cent. I think you can tell by the fact everyone is disappointed we didn’t win on Sunday,” says Leonard. “Because we haven’t beaten Celtic, there’s a disappointment in the changing room that we didn’t get all three points. I think that says it all. There is a real character and a real drive from everyone in there. We know what’s at stake and we know how good we can be. It will be good to get in this week, get a few more training sessions in and really feel it.”

Being back at Hearts is not an experience the player expected. Certainly not at this stage of his career. When he left eight years ago, the club’s manager at the time, Craig Levein, was less than happy with Leonard’s decision. Football works in strange ways, though, and Leonard was welcomed with open arms when he returned north. It wasn’t a situation he expected to find himself in.

“No, I didn’t, if I’m completely honest,” he admits. “It was difficult moving because I loved it here and I had such a good connection with all the players and all the staff here. I really enjoyed it. The club gave me huge opportunities when I was here before so, when this came up, it was something which peaked my excitement straight away. I’ve been following Hearts loads. Most of their games have been on the TV, and most of the Birmingham games have been on a Saturday or a Tuesday, so I’ve been able to follow and it’s been great seeing how well they have been playing. It was a no-brainer, as soon as it came up, that I wanted to get back in.”