Hearts: Zaliukas is 'very proud' of Thomson

Published on Wednesday 23 September 2009 09:45

MARIUS ZALIUKAS today hailed the contribution of rising star Craig Thomson and insisted the young defender could hold the key to success for Hearts this season.

Right-back Thomson may only be 18 but he has already won himself an army of admirers for his performances against Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League qualifiers and against Celtic at Parkhead.

Hearts boss Csaba Laszlo turned to the youngster in the absence of the injured Eggert Jonsson but will find it difficult to leave him out of his line-up once the Icelander returns to fitness. Zaliukas also has high hopes for the youngsters and believes that he can play a massive role for the Jambos throughout the season.

The Lithuanian said: "I am very proud of Craig Thomson, from the first game that he played in the team this season he has been brilliant.

"If he can continue to play the way that he has been then I think that he can become a very important player for the team.

"I have had to make up for my weaknesses last season, I have to improve on all areas of my game.

"I know that I must show an example for the younger boys and teach them as much as I can." Zaliukas has been nursing a thigh problem this week after suffering a dead leg in the SPL match against Celtic at the weekend but should be fit for tonight's third-round tie against Dunfermline in the Co-operative Insurance Cup.

Laszlo knows his side must improve on last season's performances in the cup competitions, having been knocked out of the League Cup at this stage a year ago by Airdrie United.

First Division Dunfermline travel to Tynecastle as underdogs but Laszlo stressed that he will have to field his strongest side if Hearts are to progress.

He said: "The Cup game is important to us and I hope that we can do better than last season when we went out to a First Division side.

"We know what is necessary, but every game is different. They lost 2-0 at the weekend but they are coming to Tynecastle, it is the first time this season they will have played an SPL team and I know that they will give 100 per cent because it is their big chance to be in the limelight.

"You know that the chance for a surprise is always there and, because of last season, we know how dangerous these games can be.

"We must make sure that we are more focused, definitely.

"And we must make sure we qualify for the next round, it is very important for the supporters that we give them some cheer back.

"The last few years the club has gone out early and it is about time we did something about it."

The Jambos have not enjoyed the best of results in the opening weeks of their league campaign, last-gasp goals costing them points against Rangers, St Johnstone and, just last week, to Celtic at Parkhead.

However Laszlo insisted that his players can't complain about losing out in the final minutes of games, because his side were the ones inflicting the pain in that manner last season.

He said: "Last season I think that the people in Tynecastle and myself were most happy after a game against Inverness.

"We on the match 3-2 in the last seconds and we also scored late goals against Motherwell.

"Of course, we thought that this was fantastic because we were the ones scoring the goals but now we know that Hearts are also capable of losing goals or the game in the last minutes. This is football.

"This sometimes happens but for me the most negative thing about last week's game against Celtic is the fact that both times for their goals we had the possibility to clear."