Hearts ‘yet to see the best from John Sutton’

MARIUS ZALIUKAS believes Hearts supporters will see the best of John Sutton this season as the striker grows in confidence with every game he plays.

Sutton returned to Tynecastle for pre-season training with the rest of his team-mates at the beginning of July, having spent the previous six months on loan with Australian A-League side Central Coast Mariners.

Having fallen out of favour under Paulo Sergio, Sutton has been involved in all three of Hearts’ pre-season friendly matches since John McGlynn’s appointment – against Raith Rovers, Falkirk and Dunfermline – and has bagged two goals into the bargain.

Zaliukas feels that the striker now has a real opportunity to make his mark on the side in the coming months. He said: “He is now our main striker and he is working hard in training. Everything goes through him and I think he is personally delighted with that. His ball 
retention is good when he gets it. He will get more confidence in his performances and I hope he at least gets double figures in goals for us.”

New manager McGlynn has said this week that he would like to add another striker to the mix but Zaliukas believes that the Jambos must bring in at least two more new faces in attack.

And the Lithuanian added: “In my opinion I don’t think we just need one striker, but two to have competition for all of them in training.

“We need a striker because we can’t play all season with just one striker and I think the club are going to sign some good strikers.”

Zaliukas has been impressed by his new manager in the few short weeks since he took over the Tynecastle hotseat from Portuguese Sergio.

The defender had only just joined Hearts when McGlynn quit to become manager of Raith Rovers but he is already a huge fan of the new man’s

approach and attitude towards the players.

He continued: “When I came to Hearts I think John was the Under-19s coach.

“He is a one-direction man. There is good understanding between everyone and I

think he is going to do a great job.

“It’s good, we are going the right way. Gary Locke has been there the longest now.

“The gaffer is reasonable all that time, he is always talking to everyone and he is coming to say hi to everyone personally. It’s nice to hear that.

“There is a good team spirit and we’re in a good way.”