Toby Sibbick admits disappointment at dropping out of Hearts side as defender receives latest chance to prove himself

Toby Sibbick admits it was tough to find himself out of the Hearts team again after the World Cup break.

The defender endured a rough beginning to the 2021/22 season but had managed to turn his form around with a few impressive performances in the games leading up to the five-week hiatus.

Craig Halkett and Stephen Kingsley both recovered from hamstring injuries in the time away and Sibbick once again found himself among the substitutes when Hearts defeated Kilmarnock a week past Saturday.

However, he’s now got another chance to try and establish himself after both players went down in the 2-2 draw with Dundee United last time. Timelines haven’t been placed on their return yet but each are expected to be absent when Hearts take on St Johnstone on Wednesday evening.

“It’s tough. Every player wants to play every week. We’ve got a really strong squad and there’s a lot of competition for places, but I’m at an age now where I want to be playing games,” Sibbick told the Evening News.

“Whenever you’re not playing it’s always going to be disappointing, but obviously I’m still right behind the boys. Whatever the gaffer puts out I’m going to support it. I’m never going to go against the boys.

“I’ll just keep working away and doing whatever I can to stay in the team.”

Sibbick was a first-half substitute at Tannadice after Kingsley suffered a suspected concussion. Though Hearts fought back to grab a point but the defence had clearly been impacted by the need to make two changes even before losing skipper Craig Gordon to a broken leg.

Toby Sibbick battles with Dundee United's Steven Fletcher during Hearts' 2-2 draw at Tannadice. Picture: SNS

“I had to adapt quickly. Obviously it’s a physical game but I thought I did well. I just need to keep building on that and if I do carry on playing then just do whatever I need to stay in the team,” said Sibbick.

“The boys that came on, including myself, haven’t had the chance to build a strong relationship with Kye [Rowles]. We haven’t really played with each other too often. That’ll have to come over time.

“We have some strength in depth and for us we just need to keep going and try and win again against St Johnstone.”

Further hampering the strive for continuity across the defensive line has been the need to change formations with Hearts missing Halkett, Rowles and Kingsley, three of their best players, for a lot of this season.

But Sibbick insists these are just the sort of challenges that defenders have to face and be ready for.

“It’s not necessarily tougher switching between positions and formations. You’ve just got to adapt. There are many ways to play football and the manager has his own preferences, whether it’s in a back three or a back four. We’ve got a good enough squad with good enough players to adapt to how he wants us to play,” he said.

“If he wants us to play in a three and I have to be on the right or in the middle I’ll do it. If he wants to play with a back four then I’ll do that as well. It’s all about adapting and learning quickly.”

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