Rudi Skacel delighted to be back four years after an 'amazing' farewell

Rudi Skacel believes he has played as well elsewhere as he did at Hearts, and he has won other trophies which rank with his Scottish Cup winner's medal from 2006. One aspect of his first spell at Tynecastle which is without equal, however, is the celebrations which followed that victory.

By the time he scored in the final against Gretna, the Czech midfielder was almost certain he would be leaving the club after a single season. As his second stint as a Hearts player began officially yesterday with a media conference, Skacel explained what that high point meant to him, and why it had played a part in his rejoining the club.

"I want to pay this club something back and I'm glad I'm here," the 31-year-old said. "I can pay the supporters (back] as well.

"When I left it was very emotional for me, especially because we won the Scottish Cup in my last game. The celebrations were amazing that day - they were definitely the best in my career. I have won a few things as a player but never ever was there a celebration like this. It felt like we had won the Champions League and World Cup together."

Skacel made an immediate impact after being signed by George Burley in the summer of 2005, scoring in each of his first seven league games as Hearts enjoyed their best start to the season since the outbreak of the First World War. Within weeks he was being hailed by some supporters as one of the best players they had seen play for the club, but he was the first to acknowledge that he was far from being a one-man band. His partnership with left-back Takis Fyssas was an essential element in his success, while infield he and Paul Hartley also worked extremely well together.

The squad Skacel has joined this week is nothing like as experienced or cosmopolitan, but he thinks the ability to win trophies is there. "You never know," he said. "We have a good young squad here. It can happen again."

Given Skacel was one of many players to fall out of favour with club owner Vladimir Romanov, his return to Hearts would have seemed implausible not too long ago. But having decided not to sign a new contract with Greek club Larissa, he got in touch with Romanov and was invited to a meeting in Lithuania. After discussions with the Kaunas-based businessman and Hearts director Sergejus Fedotovas, Skacel agreed to return, any past differences having been resolved.

"We spoke about the past and about the future. It's life and there is no problem between us.I hope that he will be behind me, I will be behind him, and I hope that we can build up our relationship again and be a success again."

Similarly, although Jim Jefferies thought the priority was to find a new left-back to stand in for the injured Lee Wallace, Skacel has every intention of working harmoniously with his new manager. He has said he does not think he would slot in very well at left-back, but will do his best if asked to play there - or indeed anywhere else.

"I hear only good things about Jim Jefferies. I know that I have to prove that I am good enough to play, and I said to him that I want to be an important player for him and that I want to help him with the squad with my experience.

"I don't see any problem. I spoke with the gaffer and I think we can be successful. I have to deserve my place in the team. That is the same at every club: no-one is guaranteed a place.

"I've played left-back many times, including for the national team. I'm best in the middle or behind the strikers, but if the gaffer asks me to be goalkeeper I'll be goalkeeper."

Wherever he plays, Skacel knows he will have to convince some sceptics that his best football is not all behind him. He has not settled anywhere since leaving Southampton, initially on loan, in 2008. But he is hungry for success, and for a regular place in the Czech Republic team in the Euro 2012 qualifiers, and is convinced that a return to Edinburgh is the right move. "Larissa had some financial trouble and they changed coach," he explained when asked how the move back to Scotland came about. "He told me he did not know how much playing time he could give me.

"I said okay, but told him that I wanted to be in the national team and I did not want to risk spending all of my time on the bench.

"I had three or four offers and my best offer was from Hearts. There was a big interest from both sides, so it was not difficult to make this deal."

It is five years ago this weekend that Burley's Hearts went to Inverness and won 1-0 thanks to a Skacel goal. Despite the depleted nature of Jefferies's squad, the midfielder will not feature in today's lunchtime kick-off in the Highland capital, and sees next Saturday's home game against Motherwell as a more realistic target.