James Wilson breaks silence on Hearts penalty snub against Rangers as starlet rejects one accusation

The Jambos youngster had a spot kick shout waved away after he went down in the box under a challenge from Clinton Nsiala

Hearts starlet James Wilson revealed “it felt like a penalty” after insisting Clinton Nsiala’s shove put him off balance during their defeat to Rangers.

The young striker was involved in a controversial moment in the match with debate raging over whether the Jambos should have had a spot kick when the French defender appeared to push Wilson. The game was finely poised at 1-1 at that stage and Gers rubbed salt into their hosts’ wounds as they went up the park to restore their lead through Vaclav Cerny.

Neil McCann, who played for both clubs, was on Sky Sports co-commentary and felt Hearts had a big shout for a spot kick but the three-man panel in the studio of Chris Sutton, Kris Boyd and James McFadden dismissed the shout. Now Wilson is the first of the two players involved in the incident to speak.

The 17-year-old told the Edinburgh Evening News: “I feel the shove on my back. It’s put me off balance and got me going to ground. I definitely feel the shove on my back. I can't tell you how much it looks like a penalty, but it felt like a penalty.”

Wilson rejected any notion that he exaggerated the fall in a bid to win a penalty, stating: “No, I haven't. I haven't tried that. I've legit been knocked off my balance. It's annoying, but that's football You're going to get decisions to go against you and you have to try and bounce back.

“I think probably that's the most disappointing part of our performance. I think when it went to 3-1, we probably just didn't have the belief to get back in the game. We had chances but I just think the belief kind of went a bit.

“It's probably one of the toughest games I've played, up there with FC Copenhagen. When you see the size of bodies, guys who have played European football. I'm just taking every opportunity I can and I was feeling confident in the games. I didn't think I had a bad game, so it gives you confidence as a young player.

“Every game is like that. Even in the Lowland League [with the Hearts B team], the guys that play there are still streetwise. You get used to that. It's a factor, but I wouldn't say it's any different to any other league in Scotland.”