Craig Halkett believes Hearts have started the season well, but he emphasised that this is just a start.
Moving forward, the 30-year-old confirmed the group is confident ahead of the tricky trip to Ibrox on Saturday (kick-off 15.00) having remained undefeated in the league and scoring some good goals.
The Jambos travel aiming to get three points from Russell Martin’s under-pressure squad but Halkett conceded that in football you need “a bit of luck”.
The big defender (pictured at training at Riccarton by Nigel Duncan) added: “We have been disappointed with some of the goals we have lost, but we know there is competition for places and we have to turn up every day and do our best to get on the team sheet.”
Personally, Halkett said his body is feeling good and he is healthy. He is enjoying playing again after a number of injuries, and he admitted it “was a struggle” at times working his way back to full fitness.
Kirkintilloch-born Halkett, who was originally a striker, said: “I kept my head down, worked hard and got myself to a good place now.”
Overall, the introduction of Stuart Findlay has made the core of the Jambos rearguard a “solid unit” according to the 6ft tall defender, who was on Rangers books from 2014 to 2016 but did not play in the first team.
He was asked if Hearts can go to Rangers and win and he replied: “Definitely. We know how hard it is going to be but, being at Hearts, being at a massive club, you have to go to every fixture, no matter where it is, and who it is against, believing you can get three points. We are going to go there are try to win.”
The first four fixtures in the William Hill Premiership – Aberdeen, Dundee United, Motherwell and Livingston (where he played 117 games) – have not been easy, and the experienced player, who has had loan spells at Clyde and Berwick Rangers, said: “It has been a tough start and we have done really well so this is another game with three points up for grabs.”
The newcomers who have arrived over the summer have asked questions leading up to games and the experienced Hearts players will “talk” the new recruits through prior to kick-off time in Govan.
Asked if he enjoyed going to Ibrox, Halkett said: “I enjoy every game. This is a big stadium, there will be a big crowd. It is against one of the top teams in the country and it is a game you want to play in.”
A key, he said, will be silencing the Rangers fans by getting an early goal and stopping them scoring, and he said: “Everybody knows the crowd can go against them, but it is the same everywhere. We will just go and play our game.
“I don’t think it is a season defining game, but if we fall short and don’t win the game we will be disappointed. We will then go through why we didn’t get the result, get back to work and look forward to the next game.”
