Currie will remember fondly a season Hearts will want to forget
HEARTS’ season is set to end with a whimper on Premiership presentation day at Celtic amid growing concerns over whether head coach Ian Cathro has the attributes to lead the club in the long term. But despite the malaise engulfing Tynecastle, it has been a memorable breakthrough campaign for one player: Rory Currie.
The 19-year-old former Celtic and Rangers trainee made the switch from Ibrox last summer with hopes of enhancing his chances of becoming a first-team player. After 11 outings, Currie can look back on his campaign with satisfaction. “It’s been a good season from my point of view,” he said. “I only came in at the start of the season as an under-20s player, but I’ve played quite a number of games, so it has been good. “I’ve settled in quite quickly and got used to the demands of being a first-team player. It’s obviously quite a big jump when you first step up, but once you get used to the nature of it you start to fit in quickly. I’ve had help from the experienced players here, which has made everything easier. The biggest thing I’ve had to adapt to is the demands put on a first-team player. They are much higher. You need to be more focused and work harder. That’s the main thing. But I think getting used to that at the age I am can help in the future. The younger you get used to first-team football, the better you will become.”
Ten of Currie’s appearances have come under Cathro after the 30-year-old replaced Robbie Neilson in December when Hearts were sitting second in the table. They head to Glasgow today in fifth place and, despite of a record of six victories from 25 matches under Cathro, Currie insists any off-field criticism has not infiltrated the dressing room.
“There’s no negativity within the club,” he said. “When we’ve lost a game we just look forward to the next game.
“Obviously everybody in the place is disappointed but there’s no point dwelling on it. We just look forward to trying to better ourselves in the next game.
“I’m happy with how I’m developing and how my game is coming on. But I’m still part of the team so I’m disappointed with the results and how we’ve been doing recently.”