Uche Ikpeazu certain Hearts would be title contenders but for injuries

Uche Ikpeazu, in action against Livingston on Wednesday, battled back from a broken bone in his foot. Picture: SNS.

After a four-month lay-off with an injured foot, the 23-year-old striker is the latest to battle back and he insists that, once they get everyone fit, the Gorgie club can prove just how serious their challenge would have been.

“Definitely. The way we were playing, I think we would have been right up there,” said the player who made his first appearance since 7 October when he came off the bench during Wednesday night’s draw with Livingston. “Injuries are part of the game but I believe we will bounce back.

“I don’t see why not. I’m not match sharp because I’ve only trained a couple of days but I believe I can get to my best very soon. I believe the team can as well. We have good chemistry between us. If everyone plays at their optimum, I don’t see why we can’t hit the form we hit earlier in the season.

“You have to take each game as it comes. We are where we are in the league so we’ll see. It’s important we get the basics right, build momentum and win games. If we win a couple of games then anything is possible. It’s down to confidence.”

Ikpeazu’s mental resolve has been an asset in his road to recovery. Initially warned that his season could be over after he broke a bone in his foot back in October, he tapped into his reservoir of resilience to aid his rehabilitation and defy those early predictions.

“It makes me stronger and makes me work even harder. I believe I can bounce back from adversity so I take anything in my stride,” he added. “There will be ups and downs. That’s why you have to be mentally strong. ”

But it wasn’t easy. After signing for Hearts in the summer, the Englishman had worked hard to ensure he turned up in decent shape and had started the season in the kind of form that brought him four goals in ten games, earned the appreciation of team-mates who benefited from his energy and hold-up play, and the adulation of the fans, who, almost from the outset, bestowed cult status upon him.

“I did think my season was over,” said Ikpeazu. “They have to give you the worse-case scenario and the specialist did say that my season was more or less finished. But, for me, nothing is over. I’ve had four operations in the last four or five years so I know how to bounce back from adversity. I just worked hard and I knew if I did the right things I could be back. I hope I can get back to my best.

“At the beginning it was very serious and I was supposed to be out for six or seven months. It was a serious injury. To be back this quickly is testament to my hard work and the staff around me. I worked really hard to get to this point so I’m happy to be back early.”

With the target date for his return brought forward time and time again, manager Craig Levein had suggested he might have to twist his player’s arm to convince him to advance that yet again and take a place on the bench in midweek.

Expected to make his comeback this weekend, against Auchinleck Talbot in the Scottish Cup, the striker says there was no coercion required.

“He didn’t twist my arm – I twisted his. I was desperate to get out there,” said the player, expressing all the enthusiasm of a youngster making his debut rather than a first-team regular returning to the side.

“I trained for a couple of days and the gaffer asked me: ‘Do you feel fit?’ I said: ‘Yeah. I want to be involved’. All through Tuesday and Tuesday night I was buzzing because I was going to be back on the bench. I’ve been waiting for this moment.”

As have the fans who have tried to bolster his spirits on social media and on the streets of Edinburgh. His manager, too, has made no secret of his delight at welcoming him back so far ahead of schedule.

Against Livingston there was no sense that he was simply easing himself back in as he ploughed through two players to try to convert a header late on and, given time, he believes he can make up for lost time. “[The manager] has been brilliant to me and showed a lot of faith in me. Now I have to work hard for him as well as the team.”