Michael Smith: Game time key to Hearts’ young hero Aaron Hickey

Aaron Hickey celebrates after scoring Hearts' winner at Easter Road.

The 17-year-old made a name for himself at the end of last season, showing enough class and composure in a Premiership trip to Celtic Park to convince manager Craig Levein that he had what it takes to cope with a Scottish Cup final start.

He has maintained that form and displayed the same maturity this season and got his reward when he struck in Sunday’s capital derby to net the winner, lift spirits and catapult the Gorgie club up the league table.

But, while experienced professionals like Smith, pictured, are quick to acknowledge the talent, they are not getting carried away.

“It was a great goal, although there was a little bit of a deflection,” he adds with a smile. “No, look, the joy of scoring your first professional goal, away at Hibs; it doesn’t get much better than that. It was a hell of a turn of pace after he scored. I don’t think many were able to keep up with him at that point.

“Even if you just walk past him in the corridor, he is sort of laid back. It just works for him – he’s so calm and composed on the ball. He’s like that off the pitch as well and he could turn out to be a really special player.

“But players like that come around fairly regularly at that age and, for some, it goes to their heads and they drop out of football straight away. Maybe they go to a big club, get a bit of money and it just doesn’t happen for them. I’m sure they’ve all heard it before, but my advice is to be at a club where you’ll get a run of first-team games, improve, get physically stronger and gain the experience and then go and ply your trade somewhere else. He’s had a great start to his professional career and, credit to him, he has taken it all in his stride. He is still very shy and quiet around the place – and still does all his little youth- team jobs. It’s good to see that he’s still grounded and nothing has gone to his head.

“To be getting a run of first-team games is exactly what he needs – and he needs to keep playing games. My advice to him is to keep his head down, keep playing well and stay at a club where you are going to get games.”

The Northern Ireland international, who was back at his reliable best on Sunday following an injury lay-off, was taken off towards the end of the encounter suffering with cramp but he says he will be fit and ready for this evening’s League Cup quarter-final clash with Aberdeen at Tynecastle.

“My calfs seized up. I made a few runs forward from right-back and they just weren’t taking it! Hopefully, I’ll be a bit more conditioned on Wednesday. But I didn’t feel the injury at all on Sunday. I’m happy with where I am and just need to get my match fitness to be be 100 per cent.”

Returning to home turf, it affords the team the chance to prove to the fans that the result in Leith was not a fluke and that they are getting into their stride after a tough start.

“I think it was a little bit of relief to get our first three points on the board. But beating your city rivals away from home is great and there was a little celebration. We won’t get carried away, though because it’s just a start.”

But it does give Hearts confidence as they host tonight’s game. And, having made it to the last four of the same competition last season before going one better by contesting the final of the Scottish Cup, they ultimately came up short against treble winners Celtic each time. But there are ambitions to build on that knockout  experience, according to Smith.

“The cup runs are massive. We got a taste of it last season and now we want to take that a step further and win a trophy.”