Toby Sibbick exclusive: 'I was ten points adrift last year and survived - now I'll help Hearts stay up'

On-loan midfielder wants to emulate Wimbledon fightback against all the odds

Toby Sibbick impressed on his Hearts debut against Rangers

Exactly 12 months ago, Toby Sibbick sat ten points adrift of relegation safety with AFC Wimbledon in England’s third tier. They still stayed up. Hearts’ predicament in the Scottish Premiership seems almost trivial by comparison, so the giant Englishman had no hesitation agreeing to a six-month loan in Edinburgh.

He arrived with the perfect omen. Sibbick may be only 20 but he is already something of a survival specialist after Wimbledon’s exploits last season. They eventually avoided relegation to League Two on goal difference after a run of two defeats in their final 15 games.

Hearts are not quite so desperate. They were four points adrift at the bottom when Sibbick signed a loan deal from parent club Barnsley on Saturday. The following day, that gap reduced to one as the youngster enjoyed an inspired debut in the 2-1 win against Rangers at Tynecastle Park.

He is now relishing the weeks ahead. “I don’t see it as a concern, I see it as a learning curve,” he told the Evening News. “I was in that situation last season with Wimbledon - bottom of the table and ten points adrift. So I’ve been in this position before.

“As a young player, I know what it takes to survive. It takes everyone in the dressing room to step up. The boys did that on Sunday, long may it continue. At the end of January last year, we were ten points behind. We turned it around and went on a crazy run. I don’t see why we can’t do that here.”

Some of the similarities between Wimbledon last year and Hearts now are stark. “We got a new manager in December. That month was a bit rocky,” recalled Sibbick, whose new team have just gone through the same process. “Then we beat West Ham in January in the FA Cup, literally a year ago, and I scored in that game. We played Millwall in the next round and got knocked out, so our main focus was the league.

“We had 14 games left, we knew what we had to do and we won most of them. We only lost two. It was promotion form and we stayed up.”

That act of defiance helped convince Daniel Stendel to sign Sibbick for Barnsley. The pair are now reunited in Edinburgh. “I spoke to the manager at Barnsley [Gerhard Struber] last Sunday. We discussed my options and I asked if I could go on loan. We came to an agreement,” explained the player.

“I know the gaffer here and we got on quite well when I was at Barnsley, so my agent called him. It had been an ongoing thing, probably for the whole month, and we eventually came to an agreement. I made my up on Friday, passed my medical, trained Saturday and played on Sunday. It’s been quite a rollercoaster but I’m glad I’m here now.”

Cramp ended his debut prematurely. “It was my first game in seven weeks. I couldn’t move,” he said. “I want to continue to develop as a player. I want to play as many games as I can and help the team stay up. No-one wants to go down, it’s a horrible feeling.”

Sibbick’s dreadlocks, 6ft 3in frame and London accent ensure he looks and sounds suitably streetwise for the Scottish league. Versatility is one of his strengths but Hearts intend to use him in midfield. “I quite enjoy it there,” he said. “I just try to break up the play and give the ball to people in front of me. Boycie [Liam Boyce] and Naisy [Steven Naismith] can do their thing up top. I like the centre-mid role.

“I spoke about that with the manager. He said he knows I can play every position but my main focus is centre-mid, maybe dropping to centre-half if needed. I think his plan is for me to play centre midfield.

"We had a chat before the Rangers game and he told me how much he believes in me. For anyone to hear that, especially a young player, gives you confidence to go out on the pitch and do well for him. I’m trying to repay the faith he showed in me at Barnsley and now here.”