Peter Haring in no hurry over new Hearts deal

Peter Haring could make his return to the Hearts team for the first time in seven weeks after recovering from a hernia operation. Picture: SNS

The player, who was signed as a centre-back in the summer but has operated assuredly in a midfield role for most of his time at the Tynecastle club, is expected to return to the team for the first time in seven weeks against St Mirren this afternoon. And while he won’t rule out a long-term commitment, for the time being he simply wants to enjoy being back in the fold and able to take to the pitch without the torment of groin and hernia problems.

Having played through the pain barrier for several weeks, popping medication to help stave off surgery and a lengthy lay-off, he finally admitted defeat during the festive derby, leaving the field after 54 minutes. But a successful operation and rehabilitation sees him return to the team determined to make up for lost time and ensure a bright end to the season for himself and the club.

“It was too much to continue in that game,” he said. “The week before it just got worse and worse everyday and I felt it during the warm-up as well. During the game it got worse and worse and I had to go off. If it wasn’t such a big game I would have sat it out but it’s one of those games you definitely don’t want to miss and you try to do everything to be on the pitch.

“It’s definitely good to be back without any pain. I dealt with it but it was up and down, sometimes good, sometimes worse. It was quite a long time that I had to deal with my groin problems and it feels better now. But that’s in the past, now I’m healthy and glad to be back.”

He believes that the side can recapture the early-season form and consistency that saw them looking down on the rest of the Premiership for the first couple of months of the season and says he would prefer to focus on that and put any contract distractions to one side for now, despite manager Craig Levein, pictured, being keen to tie up his top performers and his own belief that the move has panned out even better than he had hoped.

“He has talked to me about that a couple of times but I still have one-and-a-half years left so I am taking it easy,” said Haring. “There’s no hurry. I told him it’s an honour for me that the club wants to extend it after I’ve been here for just a couple of months in Scotland.

“I didn’t really know what to expect before I moved here and all I can say is I am really enjoying the chance to be here and play football, it’s just a fantastic place for me and all of the players. It’s a massive club with good fans, it’s just a really good place to be a footballer.

“This shows that the club wants to build something, and it shows it wants stability. I think the club have had a couple of tough years in the past and now they – we – want to build something and strengthen the club and the team as well. And when you see other important players signing new contracts it gives you a good feeling about the team.”