Hearts striker Callum Elliot keen to take his chance

CALUM ELLIOT intends showing his ruthlessness when given a chance to re-establish himself in the Hearts first-team, although the striker admits the scintillating form of his colleagues means he cannot complain about his current role as substitute.

• Callum Elliot. Picture: SNS

After failing to start any of Hearts' last four matches, Elliot is desperate for an opportunity to recapture his impressive early- season form. But six victories and six clean sheets in the last seven outings make it difficult for manager Jim Jefferies to tinker with his team.

Confidence is oozing out of Riccarton at the moment as Hearts prepare for Sunday's SPL visit to Motherwell, and Elliot accepts he must be patient for now.

"Of course I feel unlucky to be on the bench but the team is winning, so it's difficult to chap on the manager's door and ask why you're not playing," he said. "It's been difficult. Everyone wants to play but you have to be realistic. If the team is getting victories that usually means everyone is playing well.

"Stephen Elliott and Kevin Kyle have done well as a partnership and I need to do well in training and score goals in reserve matches."

Elliot's resolve stems from a difficult experience on loan at Fir Park in season 2006/07. "I was at Motherwell a few seasons ago and it wasn't the most successful time of my career. But it was a learning curve and has made me a better player," he admitted.

"When you're a bit younger you don't realise how lucky you are to be a footballer. But it turned out to be a fantastic learning experience.

"I've just got to be patient and wait for another chance and, when that comes, I will have to take it.

"Things are going well and we are on a good run of form. If we'd had better results at home we would have been a lot higher up the table but hindsight is a great thing. We have maybe been a bit lucky in some away games - you can't have it all your own way.

"We've done well but we can't get carried away. I'm looking forward to going to Motherwell to hopefully get three points." Meanwhile, former Hearts inside forward Bobby Rankin, who played for the club in 1959, has died at his home in Australia.