Hearts: Scotland can wait, Jambos are thirst

PLAYING for Scotland remains a distant priority for Andy Driver right now. First he must re-establish himself with Hearts after a nine-month injury absence. Even more pressing is his need to convince team-mates that he isn't about to jinx their exceptional run of form this season.

Driver has been the butt of all jokes at Riccarton since pulling out of a friendly against East Fife two weeks ago with a stomach bug. The match was arranged specifically for the winger to play his first 90 minutes since returning to fitness following knee and thigh injuries. Consequently, the flak has been flying.

"I'm taking pelters for that. Everything's my fault now. Even if it rains outside it's my fault," he giggles. However, his rehabilitation has been no laughing matter. Nine months is a long time to spend away from your job, especially when it gives you so much pleasure. An added complication was that the English-born player was declared eligible for Scotland whilst stuck in the Riccarton gym and months away from full fitness.

Driver's return has been carefully planned with patience and a pragmatic outlook. The player admits previous comebacks have been rushed due to his own eagerness. This time, he has been reintroduced gradually. Again, even that has led to jokes at his expense.

"I had a few snide comments from the boys during my first few days training because my touch wasn't quite in yet," he said. "But you soon get used to it, I've been playing football all my life. You just can't switch it off like a light bulb and it's gone for good. I've missed a lot of development but hopefully I get back on the track and start rebuilding again.

"It's maybe been a problem over the last few years, that I've rushed back a little bit. There was no chance of me doing that this year. The major part of that is that the team are doing so well, there has been no need for me to rush back in. I would have to be at my best to get back into the team. This team has no passengers at the moment.

"There is so much strength in depth that there is pressure on you to perform every week - or someone else will come in to take your place. That's why we're performing so well.

"I don't feel the pressure but I do feel the need to prove myself again. I'm feeling a lot stronger with all the work I've done. For the first time in a long time, I've no aches and pains. But I've got to take every step as it comes - an hour, then 90 minutes.

"I've been fit for two-and-a-half, three months, when I've been able to play games. But I've only just started to play, because they've been taking it slowly, like a pre-season.

"Maybe I will be at my best next year, after a proper pre-season, but I feel quite fresh now. The rest of the players are maybe feeling a bit tired, so hopefully I can make an impact straight away."

If so, a maiden international cap for Scotland will surely be in the offing. "The management team have to talk me up for Scotland, it's part of their job," said Driver in response to comments from Billy Brown, Hearts' assistant manager, on the subject.

"I've got to take every step as it comes. Billy saying that hopefully means he thinks I've been doing alright in training, and he can see a little bit there. I've only played three 20 minutes at the moment. My aim is to take that up to an hour, then look at playing full games.

"The Scotland thing was all coming to a head when I got injured. It was over a year ago now. At least it's all settled now and I can just concentrate on playing my football. If the call comes, great.

"The argument about my eligibility maybe would have been more a hassle for me if I was playing well and could have been called up. But I wasn't even playing, so it wasn't even as if it needed to be sorted out straight away.

"It wasn't playing on my mind much, even though I wanted it sorted out. The way it was handled at the very start wasn't perfect but, since Craig Levein has come in, it's been done behind closed doors and we had a lot of communication between each other. So it was all sorted out, which is good.

"It has made me more desperate to get my first cap but, looking at the Scotland squad at the moment, I ain't going to walk into that. I've got to start playing here first. I've got to the end of the season to get myself back firing as well as I can. If I get a call in that time, perfect."