Robbie Neilson and Craig Gordon tributes as Hearts hold special service for Marius Zaliukas

Hearts held a special service for Marius Zaliukas at Tynecastle Park on Thursday to coincide with his funeral in Lithuania.

Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon with the tributes to Marius Zaliukas outside Tynecastle.

Former players, coaches and colleagues gathered in the stadium’s memorial garden for a tribute to the late defender, who passed away after illness at the age of 36.

News of his death emerged during Hearts’ Scottish Cup semi-final victory against rivals Hibs at Hampden Park last weekend.

Zaliukas captained the Gorgie club to their famous 5-1 final win over Hibs in 2012 and is fondly remembered by those who worked with him.

“It was poignant, yes. I knew Marius personally and a few ex-players came along,” said manager Robbie Neilson, an ex-team-mate of the Lithuanian.

“We had the high of the semi-final but we got brought down to earth very quickly hearing about Marius. It was devastating for everyone at the club.

“We had our service at the same time as his funeral over in Lithuania and we send our best wishes out to his family. He had a young wife and a young kid so it's a difficult time for everybody.

“He was massive for this club. I listened to the tributes from all the players and they were all true.

“When Marius came over there were a lot of foreign players, a lot of Lithuania players in particular, and only a few of them really took to the group, opened up and became part of the club. Marius was one of those.

“He was a lovable guy, a really funny guy – and he spoke good English which helped quite a bit.”

Zaliukas’ initial performances in Scotland drew criticism but he recovered to become club skipper with a show of admirable character.

“Marius had a difficult start to his career at Hearts but his character was strong,” added Neilson. “He got over that challenge at the start, became captain and one of the most memorable sights is him lifting that cup after winning 5-1 against our biggest rivals in a Scottish Cup final. It doesn’t get much bigger.

“He is a big part of the club and will remain a big part of this club forever. Marius was a very good player. Gary Locke spoke at the service on Thursday about how he would tend to have one brilliant performance, then switch off for ten seconds and lose a goal.

“But as he progressed and matured, his concentration levels improved and he became one of the best central defenders Hearts have had for a very long time.

“It was testament to him that he got through that difficult period because a lot of people would have thrown the towel in and left. Instead, Marius stayed, worked hard and believed in himself – and as a result, he left here as a legend.”

Goalkeeper Craig Gordon also played beside Zaliukas and admitted tears were shed at Thursday’s service. “He will be remembered forever after winning the Scottish Cup in one of the biggest games – if not THE biggest game – the club has ever played.

“Some tears were shed by the boys who knew him well and played with him for a lot longer than I did. It was sad, but also nice to be able to talk about Marius and listen to stories about him.”

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