Ben Garuccio aims to '˜put things right' in cup after Hearts' mauling by Lions

Hearts full-back Ben Garuccio is not masking his feelings. Humiliated by the 5-0 drubbing dished out by Livingston the last time they faced the Tynecastle outfit, the Gorgie side are looking for revenge when Gary Holt's team head to the capital tomorrow.

Hearts' Ben Garuccio speaks to the press ahead of his side's William Hill Scottish Cup match against Livingston. Picture: Bruce White/SNS

“I’m sure that’s what’s in everyone’s mind,” said the Australian, who joined the club this season. “We haven’t really spoken about the desire for payback but as a footballer you remember those results. It was embarrassing for us, we want to put things right..”

The result was a sore one but since then there have been wins over Hamilton and rivals Hibs, while several key players have started their migration from the physios room to the first team, bolstering confidence and performances.

“If anything the break maybe came at the wrong time after that Hibs result,” said Garuccio, pictured. “You want to keep going. You feel like you could take on the world, you feel king of the world after a result like that. So we just want to continue where we left off.

“To get a good result like that was great. I live right in the city centre so people would stop me and say ‘well done’. Obviously when you are on the other end of it you just want to stay in the house but it’s nice to be able to pop your head out and know you’ve done your team proud and the fans are proud to say you’re a Hearts player.”

That victory also helped convince him that Hearts have weathered their storm and are now ready to shine again.

“It shows how football can change so quickly,” he said. “We lost 5-0 [to Livingston] that night, then two weeks later beat Hibs at Easter Road in the derby. It almost seems like that night never happened. Although it will be in the back of our heads we need to go out and focus on the second half of the season.”

John Souttar is the latest player to return to fitness and, with boss Craig Levein considering involving him tomorrow, and with Conor Shaughnessy on board until the summer and Michael Smith signing a two-year contract extension the mood in the camp and the defensive options have been bolstered.

Up front David Vanecek will make his competitive debut, with Uche Ikpeazu ready to resume full training next week, but while that all bodes well for the second half of the season, the primary concern is seeing their way past Livingston, according to Garuccio, who believes Hearts could go on to win the Scottish Cup.

“Look back to the start of the season and how well we were playing, it felt like we were going to tough places and getting results. It felt like something special – as a footballer, you don’t always have that feeling. The result at Hibs brought that feeling and belief back. You need to believe or there’s no way you’ll do it. Everyone collectively needs to believe.

“I seriously believe 100 per cent that we will move back up the league. We had a bad run but we’re still only six points off the top so that says something about how well we did at the start of the season. If we can get back to that, we’ll definitely be closer to the top of the league and as a player you want to win silverware.”