Michael Smith set for a Hearts landmark as he reveals hurt at times during his Tynecastle career

Michael Smith has confronted every possible scenario in six years at Hearts, from cup finals to demotion, manager changes to European football. Current turbulence doesn't faze or fluster the defender as he approaches 200 competitive appearances.

Saturday’s Premiership match with St Mirren at Tynecastle Park carries huge importance as Hearts strive to halt a run of five defeats in six games and reboot their European drive. For 34-year-old Smith, the aim is to mark a landmark day with a fitting result.

He will tug a maroon shirt over his head for the 200th time and aim to perform with the unerring consistency which has become his trademark since arriving from Peterborough United in 2017. Whether at right-back, centre-back, left-back or in midfield, the Northern Irishman is a model of steadiness.

“If I’m selected, it will be nice to reach that landmark and it will be a proud moment for me. I try to give my all every time I step on the pitch and to do that 200 times at a club like this is something special. I’ll be delighted to play on Saturday,” Smith told the Evening News.

“I was aware it was close, although I wasn’t quite sure if I needed one or two more appearances. If the stats are right and this is going to be 200, then that will be a nice achievement. It’s been lots of highs and lots of lows for me here. I’d like to have come away with a few more winners’ medals. Some of the cup finals hurt me a bit. It’s a great place to be and a great club. I’ve enjoyed my time here so I can look back with fond memories.”

He is the longest serving player at Tynecastle although the future is uncertain with his contract due to expire. Smith is already planning for life after playing but does not intend to retire any time soon. “I know I’m getting older now and football might not be here for much longer. I’m still enjoying it and still trying to play well,” he said.

“A few of us are doing our B Licence at the minute. I’ll see how that goes and I might stay in football after I retire as a player. The plan is not to retire at the minute. I still feel I can play football at a decent enough level so we’ll see what happens.

“I know it’s completely different going into management and coaching. You’re going to get all the scrutiny. Players still get scrutiny but managers take most of the flak. That’s part of the job and you have to be ready and able to deal with things like that when they come your way.”

Michael Smith is approaching his 200th competitive game for Hearts.

It is a pertinent statement given the current atmosphere surrounding Hearts. Criticism of manager Robbie Neilson took a new twist earlier this week when some fans spray-painted their message to the manager on the Foundation Plaza outside Tynecastle. Smith stressed that players remain fully behind their boss despite fans voicing their concerns at recent games.

“Yeah, definitely. The fans’ reactions are understandable,” he said. “We are hurting as well and we’re trying everything we can to turn it round. I believe we can do it and start picking up points again. At the end of the day, we haven’t been good enough. We know that and we have to take it on the chin.

“Most teams have some sort of blip in a year. Hibs have had theirs, Aberdeen had theirs, now it’s our turn. We need to come out the other end stronger. As footballers, I think we have seen it all before and we know it will turn back in our favour sooner rather than later.

“I’ve been in Hearts teams before that have had little blips. Things aren’t going so well at the minute and we’re just in one of those little blips. It’s about sticking together as a team and we will come out the other end. We are still third at the minute and the plan is to stay there. We have three huge games before the split and we want maximum points.”

That starts with St Mirren, an energetic and aggressive side who make opponents fight for everything under manager Stephen Robinson. Away defeats at Kilmarnock, Aberdeen and Motherwell have contributed to Hearts’ malaise and helped erode a seven point lead in third place down to just one point.

Understandably, players are looking forward to some home comforts in Gorgie with a vast support behind them. “A home game definitely suits us. Our away form has been pretty dire this year, which is confusing to say the least,” said Smith. “St Mirren are no mugs, though. They are decent, rugged and hard to break down. We are under no illusions that Saturday is going to be tough. Hopefully at home, the fans will be behind us early and we can kick on.”

Patience may well be necessary given St Mirren’s 3-5-2 system helps them camp in and block the route to goal when necessary. They also carry some pace, physicality and craft in attack with Curtis Main and Tony Watt. Smith is confident the Hearts support will back the players even if it takes time to break the visitors down.

“Most of the time they do stick with us. They realise football isn’t easy. You don’t just break teams down from minute one and create chance after chance. Patience is sometimes required. I think we’ve been patient in possession over the last couple of years, going across the pitch and trying to work the ball through. We know our gameplan and how we want to play. It’s got us results in the past and hopefully it will do so again.”