Jon Daly hands Hearts start to '˜honest' youngster Lewis Moore

Hearts' Lewis Moore handed surprise start. Picture: SNS/Craig Williamson

The 19-year-old spent last season on loan at Cowdenbeath where he was part of a struggling side who finished bottom of League Two, surviving through the play-offs.

However, he has impressed Daly in pre-season to be handed a start with Esmael Goncalves dropped to the bench and Cole Stockton dropped from the squad.

“He’s a young lad that went on loan to Cowdenbeath,” Daly told Sky Sports. “He probably had a difficult season, it wasn’t a great season for Cowdenebath but Lewis has come back stronger for that.

The tail end of last season he played a lot of games for me for the under-20s and done really well. Pre-season he has carried that on and done remarkable.

Moore made his Hearts debut as a 17-year-old in a 2-2 draw with St Johnstone at the end of the 2015/2016 season.

Daly said: “He’s a kid that, for me, deserves an opportunity, deserves a chance and deserves someone to believe in him. I am giving him an opportunity, giving him a chance and I do believe in him.

“He’s an honest kid, he’ll do the leg work, work up and down. He’ll take the ball, he’ll hopefully do a bit of magic for us and he scored a lot of goals pre-season and hopefully he can get another one today.”