Zaliukas wants to take Hearts into Europe and claim captaincy full time

MARIUS ZALIUKAS is staking his claim to the Hearts captaincy. He isn't making any bones about it. He wants the armband permanently and intends to secure it by showcasing his leadership and influence against Dundee United this evening and Celtic on Sunday.

Michael Stewart has already played his last match for Hearts, leaving the club captaincy vacant for next season. Zaliukas' candidacy should not be in doubt given he has successfully deputised for the Scot on several occasions as vice-captain.

Today's Evening News reveals Lee Wallace and Eggert Jonsson are also in contention for the role. Manager Jim Jefferies is deliberating over the decision and will not reveal the new skipper until his squad for next season is finalised.

Zaliukas must be considered favourite on several grounds. Principally, he is the favoured choice of majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov.

The Russian banker has brokered loan agreements keeping the player in Edinburgh for the last four years despite him being contracted to FBK Kaunas, the Lithuanian club controlled by Romanov's Ukio Bankas Investment Group. The owner will certainly have his say on the captaincy issue.

Secondly, Zaliukas has grown remarkably in stature from the bashful, introverted 22-year-old who arrived from Lithuania in August 2006. He initially accompanied Andrius Velicka and Kestutis Ivaskevicius to training each day, neither of whom could be termed the life and soul of a party. The triumvirate stuck together and mixed mainly with compatriots such as Saulius Mikoliunas and Deividas Cesnauskis.

Now 26, Zaliukas is the only experienced Lithuanian left standing at Tynecastle. The rest departed some time ago, forcing the defender to emerge from his shell. His development has reached extraordinary proportions to the extent where he is now a genuine dressing-room leader.

Lastly, consistent performances are fundamental for any team captain and Zaliukas appears finally to have overcome indiscipline and shaken off his tendency for on-field erratic moments. He knows he possesses the required attributes to replace Stewart and is out to convince manager Jefferies of his readiness.

"Everyone would be happy to be the captain. It's a big responsibility for a young player, so I'm looking forward to it," he said.

"Everyone would want to be a captain but maybe you need to deserve that.

"A couple of players would be good contenders and if I will be the captain I will be really happy.

"It's good to be a captain but during the game it doesn't feel any different for me. It is just an armband. The important thing is the team getting results.

"When I came here my English wasn't the best and, obviously, I was a young lad compared with everyone else. Now I am one of the oldest in the team and I am better. I am playing in a position where I have to talk a lot.

"All the changes were mostly in my first season, when I played in midfield and sometimes as a substitute.

"Now, I play all my games as a central defender and I'm happy with that. That is my position, not midfielder. If I have to play midfield, then obviously I will but I prefer defence.

"I have played with Lee Wallace in defence recently. Probably for Lee it is a challenge and it will be good for his experience to play in this role. I will play with anyone and I will try to help them, or the other player will try to help me. We have to be a team."

The all-for-one, one-for-all approach is certain to find favour with Jefferies ahead of squad reconstruction this summer. Several top earners will leave Tynecastle including Stewart, Jose Goncalves and Christian Nade, with Larry Kingston's future still unclear. Zaliukas, Wallace and Jonsson would provide a rigid spine to next season's Hearts team, allowing Jefferies to weave in a smattering of creative players in forward areas.

Thoughts of future plans will not be properly entertained until the season is over, though. Hearts' task in attempting to qualify for Europe remains arduous, albeit somewhat more realistic following Saturday's Edinburgh derby triumph at Easter Road.

Tonight they must do without the suspended David Obua and Kingston, plus out-of-favour Stewart and the injured quartet of Goncalves, Andy Driver, Marian Kello and Janos Balogh. Jefferies is expected to select the same defence as that which started against Hibernian, with a four-man midfield of Suso, Ian Black, Ryan Stevenson and David Templeton. Calum Elliot should earn a recall in attack, but who will deputise for Obua in the other striking role is unclear.

Zaliukas expects Dundee United's players to be fully motivated as they prepare for the Scottish Cup final having already secured third place in the SPL and a place in the Europa League qualifying rounds. "I don't think they're going to relax," he said. "They will want to win to show that it doesn't matter if they are safe and in Europe. It is anyone's game and it is going to be a difficult night.

"This match is probably more important than Celtic. If we get a good result then we can say the Celtic game will be very important. For today, it's Dundee United. Obviously Saturday was a very good result for us and Motherwell also lost. So we have a good chance to catch Hibs and we will go out to win the game.

"Hopefully Motherwell and Hibs will draw when they play tonight and we can put pressure on them. It would be better for Hearts if they draw because we don't have the best goal difference."

Zaliukas would like nothing better than captaining Hearts into Europe, but beyond that his future is uncertain. "My loan finishes in December this year," he explained. "We will see what the offer will be and then I will consider it. Just now I concentrate on my game and, at the end of the season, I go home."

Jetting back across the Baltic Sea to Lithuania, thoughts of returning next season as Hearts' official club captain are guaranteed to dominate Zaliukas' mind.