There were many excellent Hearts performances on Sunday

There were big performances all over the pitch from Hearts players against Rangers on Sunday but the one who really stood out for me was young Andy Irving.

As a former central midfielder myself, it was a joy to see a lad of such tender years with so much composure on the ball in such a high-profile match and I think the way he played helped the rest of the team.

Iriving, inset, brought a calmness and a quality to the game that allowed the team to relax a bit when in possession of the ball. He was outstanding.

We’ve had good youngsters that have come into the team in the past but often it comes down to how well you manage them at this stage of their development. I’m sure Daniel Stendel will identify games along the way where it’s maybe time to pull Andy out and give him a rest but certainly in his current form he’s proving a real asset to the team.

If Sunday is anything to go by, it looks like the signing of Toby Sibbick will be of benefit to Irving as well because the two of them seemed to dovetail well together in central midfield. It’s credit to the manager that he identified the need to get a strong and dynamic player in there in order to ensure Irving had the best platform possible from which to dictate the

play.

The recruitment of Sibbick and Liam Boyce, allied to the return of some key men and the rapid improvement of several players under Stendel, has given the squad a strong look once again.

Regardless of whether anyone else arrives, we look to be in good shape for the rest of the season, with good competition in most areas, particularly in the attacking department. Onwards and upwards.

There were many excellent Hearts performances on Sunday – but Andy Irving was the standout