Jamie Hamill close to full return for Hearts

JAMIE HAMILL could make a first-team return for Hearts against Aberdeen on Saturday after a full year out with knee ligament damage.

The defender was due to feature in today’s under-20 fixture with Ross County at Riccarton and, provided he emerges unscathed, will have a chance of being included in manager Gary Locke’s squad for the trip to Pittodrie.

The last time Hamill appeared at senior level for Hearts was on April 7 last year against Dunfermline. The following week he ruptured his cruciate ligament in training and has been sidelined ever since. The 26-year-old managed his first match in almost 12 months last Thursday as an over-age player for the 
under-20s against Inverness.

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Having suffered no reaction, he was again in line to start this afternoon’s meeting with Ross County (2pm kick-off) as he continues his comeback attempt. Another solid display from Hamill will place him firmly in contention for a spot in the squad for Aberdeen on Saturday, thus adding some much-needed experience to the Hearts squad.

The player was a regular in the side prior to his injury, featuring both at right-back and in midfield, after arriving at Tynecastle on freedom of contract from his formative club Kilmarnock in summer 2011. He is contracted until June 2014 and is eager to sample as much first-team action as possible before the end of the season.