Stevenson keen to continue in starting line up

Last updated : 07 August 2011 By TwoTonTed

Ryan Stevenson IPaulo Sergio gets his chance to test his tactics in the bread and butter of the league today as Hearts travel to Fir Park to take on Motherwell. The win against Paks gave him some idea of the relative merits of his squad in a competitive situation but the league is always different. Ryan Stevenson hopes to have played his way into Sergio's long-term plans and is eager to be given another chance to prove his worth. Stevenson scored twice in the 4-1 win over Paks at Tynecastle and is looking to end a rollercoaster week, which began with Jim Jefferies replaced as manager, on a high with a league win. Stevenson said: "It's been a tough week. We've always had a hard game down at Fir Park. They're a good team with a good manager and some very good players. It will be very hard.''
 
Sergio promoted the three times substitute to the starting line up for the mid-week Europa league game. Stevenson repaid his new manager's belief in him with a brace of goals in the first half. He hopes to continue to impress following his midweek double. Stevenson was deployed in central and wide midfield and up front by Jefferies and will be happy to play wherever called upon by Sergio. He went on: "I'm happy playing wherever. If he wants to play me up front I'm more than happy. I was always confident in my own ability to score goals and play well, nothing's changed with that. I was disappointed I didn't play last week or the week before that. It was important for me to put in a good performance.''
 
Stevenson was the first signing Jefferies and his assistant Billy Brown made on their return to Tynecastle and the forward was pinching himself after becoming a two-goal European hero 18 months after his switch from Ayr United. He added: "If you were telling me this would happen about 18 months ago, I don't think many people would believe you. Personally I was very sad to see Jim and Billy go. I was their first signing at Hearts and I was disappointed on Monday when I heard the news. But you've got to give the new manager credit. He came in, it's not his fault this has happened. He's a very nice humble man and we're all looking forward to learning the way he wants to play football.''