Moore up for more of the same at Hearts
Defender refuses to rule out Tynecastle return after loan
TAYLOR Moore is convinced he can be part of “something special” at Hearts this season – and admits feeling wanted at Tynecastle has sparked some soul-searching over his next career move.
The 24-year-old defender is on loan from Bristol City, where he will still has a year left on his current deal when he returns in the summer, for the rest of the campaign and is refusing to rule out a longer stay in Gorgie.
“The first question the manager asked me when I spoke to him was, ‘What do you want to get out of this loan?’” he said ahead of today’s trip to face Dundee at Dens Park. “I said to him, ‘I just want to feel part of something special, but also to get as many games under my belt’. I’ve definitely felt that here. The club, despite the tough times it’s had over recent seasons, is back where it belongs and it’s moving on.
“From a structural point of view, everything is here. They’ve got good facilities, good stadium, good fan-base, very good sporting director, a good manager and everyone around the club has made me feel special since being here.
“For me to say I haven’t thought about the future would be a lie, but ultimately I’ve got 18 months left on my contract at Bristol City, which is a very good club, a big club that I love to bits as well.
“It’ll be their decision. I’m sure they’ll make the right decision, making sure that all parties are happy, whether that’s them, the club I’m going to or myself.
“But it will come down to me.
Where do I feel happy, where do I feel settled, where do I feel that I want to play my football.
“I have been thinking about it and that’s a conversation to have with Bristol City.”
Meanwhile, Dundee manager James McPake admitted he was struggling to put a team together to face Hearts before sending Jason Cummings home from training yesterday morning.
The former Hibernian striker will not face Hearts as McPake took action after it emerged on social media that Cummings had attended a live Open Goal podcast event at Glasgow’s Hydro on Thursday night.
McPake was already facing a selection headache with Charlie Adam, Lee Ashcroft, Shaun Byrne and Cillian Sheridan still out and Ryan Sweeney suspended following his late red card against Hibernian in midweek.
Max Anderson went off with a fitness issue at Easter Road, although McPake was hopeful the midfielder came off before any damage was done to a lingering strain. Striker Danny Mullen and left-back Jordan Marshall are also fitness doubts. The manager fears he could be missing “close to 10 players” for the clash with Neilson’s side. He said:
“At the minute we’re racking our brains to get 11 players on the pitch. We’ll find 11 players and we’ll find a system that can compete with Hearts.
“We’re a resilient bunch and we’ll stick together. It’s a testing time for the football club, I’m not going to lie, but we’re not crying about it. If it’s 11 players and two subs, we’ll go ahead and play the game and give everything to try and get a positive result.”
McPake – who has listed only six substitutes in recent matches – explained why he does not have the option of turning to the club’s youngsters. He said: “There were senior players missing out four weeks ago and now all of a sudden we’re down to this. A lot of the younger players are out on loan so we can’t use them.
“At a time like this, I wish we had them but at the time we decided to get a lot of them out on loan.”