Jorge Grant on 'limited' Hearts game time warning from Steven Naismith as he looks to prove boss wrong

The midfielder opened the scoring against Kilmarnock as the Jambos reached the Viaplay Cup semi-final.

Jorge Grant is praying his goal against Kilmarnock will help change Hearts boss Steven Naismith ’s mind after the midfielder was told game time will be limited this season.

Grant grabbed the opener in the Jambos’ dramatic 2-1 Viaplay Cup quarter-final victory at Rugby Park in his first start of the campaign. Now the Englishman hopes he did enough in the No.10 role to get an extended run. He said: “Naisy has been totally honest with me from day dot. He said that my chances will be limited so I knew that when I got the opportunity I needed to perform. I feel like I did all right on Tuesday.

“I feel like I train well all the time. I always work hard so that’s down to me on the training pitch to prove to the gaffer that he does need me in the team. Then, when I get the opportunities to come on off the bench or start like Tuesday night, then I show him what I’ve got. I was close to leaving towards the end of the window. It’s one of those things – I want to play football. That’s why I was looking elsewhere.

“Things don’t happen sometimes and that might work in my favour now with getting a game. Hopefully I can get a run of games as well.

“I feel I know my own abilities and that I can help the team. It’s down to me proving that to him, getting the opportunity, then doing it on the pitch.”

After a poor display and defeat against St Mirren at the weekend, Grant and his Hearts team-mates are delighted to be heading to Hampden for the semi-final and to get back in the good books of their fans. He said: “We need our supporters. We need them on our side. It’s about us making things happen on the pitch and getting them off their seats.

"We did that on Tuesday night. Off the back of the weekend, we knew we had to come here and win.”