SPL award is rare for a keeper but Marian Kello is not about to rest on his laurels with Killie next up

BY his own admission, Marian Kello is enjoying the season of his life.

More clean sheets than a laundrette, a catalyst for Hearts' challenge to the Old Firm, a full international debut for his native Slovakia and, most recently, the award of SPL Player of the Month for February.

Now comes the goalkeeper's next challenge, albeit a slightly less spectacular one. Kilmarnock are one of only four SPL clubs he has failed to register a shut-out against this season, the others being Inverness, Dundee United and Motherwell.

Keeping Alexei Eremenko and Co out tomorrow would therefore tick off another achievement in a seemingly never-ending list.

Kello accepted his Player of the Month accolade with a beaming smile at Riccarton, the grin perhaps widened by the fact goalkeepers are rare recipients of such awards. The last keeper to win it was Tomas Cerny in January, 2009, and before him it was Artur Boruc in December, 2006. There was no denying the Slovakian's candidacy. February yielded two clean sheets, a penalty save and that international bow, his profile continuing to rise by the week.

This campaign already ranks as Kello's greatest ever with two-and-a-half months still to run. His aim against Kilmarnock is simply to continue thriving with another clean sheet.

"I've had probably the best season in my life," he said. "Obviously we are third, getting many results and many clean sheets. I got my national call-up and I got this award, it's great. Hopefully the results will keep coming. We have some injuries and suspensions but we can still be better.

"I think in the SPL there are good goalkeepers. I can mention maybe only one who is bad. Each of them have a good level and I'm just happy I got my award. Not many goalkeepers are getting this award so it's a big thing for me.

"When you are a goalkeeper in form, it's a situation where you are thinking about nothing else. You just see the ball and that's all. You are not reacting to things around because you don't see anybody. You don't see players, you just react to the ball and that's when your reactions are good at crosses, shots, handling, everything. If you are doing that properly without thinking, you are in good form."

Without disrespecting the sponsors, being Player of the Month pales into insignificance compared to Kello's instalment as Hearts' first-choice goalkeeper and his first appearance for his country. The latter would not have been possible without the former, and for that the 28-year-old remains grateful to his club manager Jim Jefferies.

"When he came to Hearts he gave me confidence that I'm number one," he explained. "I was unlucky to get some injuries last season but I got back to pre-season and I worked hard. He gave me the chance again as first choice and it was just up to me to take it or not. I grabbed it and I've played almost the whole season. It's been good for me and I'm very happy."

Although his Slovakian initiation ended disappointingly as he conceded the second goal in a 2-1 defeat by Luxembourg five minutes after coming on as substitute, Kello sees a potentially bright future at international level. Vladimir Weiss, Slovakia's coach, regards Everton's Jan Mucha as the country's first-choice goalkeeper. Except he is firmly second in command to Tim Howard at Goodison and rarely plays at first-team level.

Consequently, Kello sees a window of opportunity to persuade Weiss that he can handle being national No.?1. "Definitely this is my chance because Jan Mucha is not playing," he said. "If I go to the national team I want to get some opportunities to show my performance. I feel there is other pressure with the national team. It's a different pressure because the whole country is watching you. It's just up to me how I can manage with that. Hopefully I can show my best when I get the opportunity.

"My debut was a big disappointment because we had a very bad result in Luxembourg. It was only a friendly but it was not a first call-up to remember. I just want to get another one which I can celebrate. It was a big boost that I went. Now I just want to prove I can be even better."

If further improvement transpires, it will not be long before other clubs take note. Kello makes no attempt to hide aspirations of gracing England's Premier League, where his long-term inspiration Edwin van der Sar has proven so successful with Fulham and Manchester United. Craig Gordon and Antti Niemi are two predecessors who blazed a trail south from Tynecastle but Kello is in no immediate rush to follow in their footsteps.

"I am ambitious and I would like to take a step forward if that's possible," he explained. "Everyone has a dream and to get to one of the best leagues in the world would be just a dream come true."

Between now and then, Kello has much more to achieve with Hearts. It's a habit he can't seem to break.