Oliver Bozanic recalls Hibs derby goal as top Hearts memory

Oliver Bozanic celebrates scoring for Hearts at Easter Road.

Sitting on a flight home to Australia, visions of a football arcing into the top corner of the Easter Road net were vivid in Oliver Bozanic’s mind. His Edinburgh derby goal is the highlight of a two-year spell at Hearts.

The midfielder returned home with his family soon after coronavirus halted Scottish football in March knowing his Tynecastle Park career was probably over. The memories won’t fade for quite some time, particularly that night in Leith just a few weeks previously.

Hearts’ 3-1 win against rivals Hibs was arguably Bozanic’s best outing in maroon. He scored a close-range Scottish Cup winner against Rangers on February 29 and, three days later, executed a far more spectacular strike to put his team 2-0 ahead in the Edinburgh derby.

"It was a very important game for us to win. To score a goal like that, I was really happy,” he told the Evening News. “Celebrating with the all fans in that type of game is what you really play for.

“I remember seeing the build-up start down the left. Loic [Damour] was behind me saying: 'Push on, go for it.' I started to make my way forward and [Liam] Boycie was in front of me when the ball was played to him.

“I shouted for him to step over it but I wasn't sure if he would leave it or not. He left it perfectly and I hit it really well. That was it.

"That was the highlight for me personally, although there were a lot of great memories. It was such a good group of players at Hearts and everybody involved at the club was great. Playing in front of those fans is something I'll always remember. Tynecastle is a very special place.”

He was disappointed to leave, not least because both team and player were finding form. A sustained fight against relegation from the Scottish Premiership finally looked possible after two victories over Rangers and Hibs.

Hearts were halted in their tracks when the virus worsened to become a global pandemic. They have since been relegated after a controversial vote by Scottish Professional Football League clubs, although a legal appeal was launched in the Court of Session this week.

"It was very disappointing. We were starting to get better results and I felt I was finding my best form as well,” said Bozanic.

“I contributed with some important goals in those final few games. I didn't really get to have a goodbye. Normally you know at the end of the season if it's your last game but obviously the end was very sudden.

"We had the Livingston game cancelled but we had a fitness programme. We had no idea if we would be off a couple of weeks or much longer at that point, so we kept ticking over at home. After that I didn't get to see anyone.

"We knew the season was likely to be off for a while and the club gave players the go-ahead to go home. That let us come back here to wait it out.”

He made it home with no time to spare. Australia’s Government imposed strict quarantine rules early on in the process which forced Bozanic and his family to isolate at their house for two weeks.

Had they landed just 24 hours later, they would have been forced to spend that time in a hotel.

“It worked out okay for us because we arrived a day before that law came into place, otherwise it would have been a hotel for us,” said the 31-year-old.

“The circumstances surrounding everything was crazy. The season ended in Scotland and we were on our way home, but there were still eight games to go.

“Everyone at Hearts felt we still had a chance to really go for it and avoid finishing at the bottom of the league. The club are still trying to fight it so I can only wish them well.”

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