From scapegoat to club legend: how Marius Zaliukas overcame early jeers to become a Hearts hero

We remember the Tynecastle career of the former Hearts captain after his tragic death at the age of 36

Marius Zaliukas holds up the Scottish Cup alongside Rudi Skacel after Hearts' famous win over Hibs in 2012. Picture: SNS

There was a game at Tynecastle in February 2012, Hearts v Celtic, two months before the sides would meet again at Hampden. It was a disaster. Hearts got easily taken apart in 4-0 victory for the visitors.

Marius Zaliukas was at fault for pretty much every goal that night. It was the kind of thing that would happen now and then. He would occasionally have these performances where something, or everything, went wrong. But this was six years into his Hearts career. Nobody was going to dwell on it because they knew the upside. Typically, he was excellent. The situation, and his relationship with supporters, was vastly different than when he first arrived.

For the majority of the Vladimir Romanov era there was a Lithuanian target for the Tynecastle boo-boys. With the exception of the first few months, fans were generally disgruntled with what was happening under the Russian's stewardship, and with good reason. The former Hearts owner deserved his critics tenfold, but, as the way football is, a lot of the frustration was taken out on the players.

Some had it harder than others, but few got it tighter than Zaliukas during his first few months.

He was initially signed off the back of a friendly appearance against Osasuna where he played defensive midfield and, frankly, looked way out of his depth. Surely Hearts wouldn't be signing this guy, assumed the fans. Not for the last time, they underestimated the meddling of Mr Romanov as Zaliukas, along with Andrius Velicka, like several Lithuanians before and after, were soon thrust upon the management team.

Zaliukas appeared frequently at the beginning of that season in midfield. Underlining his abilities as a ball-playing defender, and contrary to popular opinion, he actually had a few decent performances in that position. Everyone remembers the 3-1 victory up at Pittodrie where Hearts executed one of the best team goals in the club's history, finished off by Chilean international Mauricio Pinilla, but few remember Zaliukas playing a starring role that afternoon in front of the back four.

Unfortunately, those type of displays weren't frequent enough and he typically just looked awkward, lacking the dynamism and passing skill to be truly effective. It didn't take long for supporters to completely write him off and was common place for him to be referred to dismissively and disrespectfully as "No.26" on leading forum Jambos Kickback.

What the fans didn't know was that he was being played out of position. Even once this realisation set in, it took a while for him to be properly accepted due to ongoing off-field turmoil and club politics.

He'd played at centre-back before in reserve, but it wasn't enough to prepare for the shock when Zaliukas took up the position on a consistent basis, starting the night everything came to a head in the first half of the 2006/07 campaign. It was leaked before an away match at Falkirk that a massive rift between beloved captain Steven Pressley and the club's ownership had led to the former being banished from the first team. When Zaliukas was named in the starting XI in his place he may as well have walked in with a 'I HATE HEARTS' shirt, such was the reaction.

But he was good that night, same as he was throughout most of his Hearts career when he got to start in his best position. He could play a bit and he could certainly defend, which is why deploying him at defensive midfield made sense, in a way. But it took away a couple of his biggest strengths and marginalised another. As a defensive midfielder he was limited on the ball; as a centre-back he was above average. Regularly good things would happen when he stepped out of defence and it's something he maybe should have been encouraged to do with greater regularity. The build up to David Obua's winner at Easter Road is a good example of that, while he was tremendous in helping Hearts to overcome a 2-0 deficit to grab a draw at Ibrox. But mainly, he was commanding in the air and quick across the ground, two things which eventually made him an excellent Scottish Premier League central defender.

He would have his nightmares, as we detailed at the start of this article, but the Hearts support would no longer crucify him for it. Scoring the only goal in the 'bring on the wee cup' derby victory at Easter Road, where the visitors spoiled Hibs' pre-planned League Cup trophy parade, helped create an affinity from there. He would still have some ups and downs, like most players – though most players don't get sent off four times in one season, further underlining his eccentricity. Though in the end it was understood knew that, while he could have his hiccups, ultimately the team was stronger for having him as its leader.

His transformation from pariah to club legend was complete on the 19th of May, 2012. Zaliukas didn't have too much to do that day against an anaemic Hibs attack, though he'd already played such a key role in the team getting there in the first place, including a last-minute winner against St Johnstone in the fifth round and winning the penalty for Craig Beattie's late spot-kick in the semi-final triumph over Celtic. When he climbed the steps to accept the trophy, with tears in his eyes, completely awestruck by the moment, he embodied every supporter there.

He had a great love for the club and he was loved just as equally. He'll be truly missed.

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