Yan Dhanda needs a chance to be Hearts' spark and start a fire at Tynecastle Park

Many Hearts fans will tell you that you can’t start a fire without a spark, but Yan Dhanda has yet to catch fire at Tynecastle Park. He is still awaiting a sustained run in the team and supporters who admire his talent are eager to see his full repertoire. Perhaps Thursday’s opening Conference League tie against Dinamo Minsk is an ideal opportunity.

A closed-door game in Azerbaijan against foreign opponents might suit the creative Englishman as he endeavours to weave some sorcery into what so far this season has been a very bland Tynecastle side. The aforementioned spark has been glaringly absent since the campaign began, witness Hearts’ position at the bottom of the William Hill Premiership.

Europe could be a timely distraction. There will be no supporters inside the Mehdi Huseynzade Stadium in Sumqayit on Thursday evening, so the 1984 Bruce Springsteen hit adapted for Dhanda won’t get an airing. The player is simply hoping for a chance to inspire Hearts to a badly-needed victory. He has heard the supporters’ chants and want to justify their faith.

“Yes, definitely. I love this club,” said Dhanda, a summer signing from Ross County. “I just want to play games and show what I can do. So, any opportunity, I want to get on the pitch and show what I'm about. So, yes, it's nice to know that the fans really support me.”

He moved to Edinburgh to take part in bigger games and sample European football. After three starts from nine appearances in total, Dhanda is something of a slow burner so far. “I'm really excited for Thursday. I think we do obviously need to focus on the league as well and start climbing up the table and I'm sure we will. But obviously, for me, it's going to be a big game on Thursday and I'm really excited for it.

“Hopefully, I can play in Europe and show what I'm about. It was a big part of me coming here so I'm looking forward to playing in Europe. I think everyone in football wants to play in European competition. When Hearts are in it and you get an opportunity to play for Hearts, at any point to play for Hearts is something everyone wants to do, especially in Scotland. So, when they're in Europe as well, it's so appealing because everyone wants to play in the biggest competition. I'm looking forward to Thursday. I can't wait.”

Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Ross County stopped a run of eight successive defeats for the Tynecastle side. Liam Fox’s first game as interim manager saw Lawrence Shankland’s stoppage-time header earn a point against Dhanda’s former club. “I think we've shown on Saturday at times how good we are as a team and we have a great group here,” commented the midfielder.

“But like I say, we need to start winning games and Saturday was a step in the right direction. We wanted to win, but we haven't lost. So, Saturday is a positive step and hopefully Thursday we can go over there, play real good football again and get a win.”

Azerbaijan is a step into the unknown for the Hearts players. “I don't have an Azerbaijan stamp,” admitted Dhanda. “I’ve been to Romania when I was younger. Not too many mad places, actually. Romania was just a pre-season tour when I was at West Brom. It was a bit mad, but now I'm looking forward to Azerbaijan. I've heard Baku is quite a nice place. Not looking forward to the flight, but I'm sure it'll be alright when we get there.

“I was young when we went to Romania, I was probably 11 years old. I went away with West Brom - mad country and probably one of the first times I went away from my mum and dad. I actually can't remember too much but I remember Ianis Hagi was playing. He was playing in the same tournament and that's about all I can remember - and that we didn’t win it.

“Everyone was saying ‘that’s Hagi's son’. He was good way back then, too. He was playing for a Romanian team, I've no idea who it was but he was good then and playing abroad was good. I'll remember it and hopefully more memories making on Thursday, playing away in Europe for the first time.

“I'm sure, in years to come, I'll remember going to Azerbaijan and playing in the Conference League. That's what everyone wants to do, play in the biggest competitions. When you're playing there, no-one can take it away from you. I'm really excited for Thursday, I can't wait.”

The freshness offered by a UEFA tournament is something Hearts will likely welcome given their domestic struggles recently. “Definitely, but at the same time you're playing for Hearts and you're expected to win games, so the pressure's just natural,” admitted Dhanda. “I don't mind playing under pressure because that's what it should be when you play for Hearts. But yeah, you go in there and the fans want us to win and we want to win. So, I think it's the same really. You need to win games because that's what the fans want to see.”

He should know. His uncle is a Tynecastle season-ticket holder and his grandfather is also a supporter. That brings a degree of pressure in itself, which the player accepts. “I get it. In my family anyway, I'm used to it,” he explained. “My family are Hearts fans and obviously they want to win games. They're always asking questions. Obviously I just want to see a good performance. I think we can take positives from Saturday.

“My uncle will let me know what he thinks when I get in the car. He tells me what he thinks. He's obviously a Hearts fan. He's disappointed when we don't win games. It ruins his weekend when we don't win games. Obviously that's just how the fans are. He'll let me know. I'm used to it because he's a big Hearts fan. I'm just excited for Thursday. I think Saturday was a positive step compared to the past few weeks. Just take the positives.

“The lads are giving everything. Foxy's been really good since he came in. The messages are clear and there's a freedom to go and play and get on the ball. It's really good for me. I'm excited. Hopefully on Thursday we get a win and then a big game against Aberdeen.”

Provided Hearts can make a positive start against Dinamo, they should feel relatively confident of making progress in the new-look Conference League. Two wins could be sufficient to earn a place in the top 24. The top eight automatically take a place in the last 16, whilst clubs who finish ninth to 24th enter the two-legged play-off round.

“I think we have to keep playing well,” said Dhanda. “We have to keep working hard because we've seen the past few months that no game is going to be easy. Everyone wants to beat Hearts because we're a big club. We have to be focused. We have to keep learning from the staff, no matter who it is. We have a good group in there and everyone sticks together. It's a really good lad to support each other. They've made it easy for me and the new signings are coming in. I'm sure we'll start building from this. I think it's going up now.”