Clevid Dikamona speaks on Hearts v Hibs, his Tynecastle future, and standing in for John Souttar

Those familiar with Clevid Dikamona’s playing style won’t be shocked to hear he is pumped up and ready for Hibs tonight. There might be an element of surprise around the Hearts defender’s declaration that playing at Easter Road feels like a home game, however.

Almost 3,800 Jambos will cram into the away end for the Edinburgh derby and create their usual cacophony of noise. Dikamona has experienced it twice and, despite three other stands containing only Hibs supporters, feels quite at home in Leith.

He is poised to deputise for John Souttar this evening following the Scot’s Achilles injury on Saturday against Rangers. Dikamona performed impressively as a substitute in the Scottish Cup victory and is now relishing the prospect of tackling Hibs in front of a jam-packed away stand in Leith.

“That will help us a lot. I have been there twice and each time I didn’t feel I was away from home. I always feel it’s like we are at home, honestly,” said the Congolese defender.

“The fans are behind us all the time and this feeling is amazing. I have played in so many clubs in so many countries and this is the first time I have fans like this behind us. That’s why I just want to enjoy it any time I get minutes on the pitch.

“I’m always ready for this kind of game. I think everyone knows I like to fight. Maybe I’m a better fighter than I am with the ball. I don’t know, honestly. I’m ready for tonight and I have been since the end of the game against Rangers.”

The stakes for Hearts could not be higher as they scrap for point with the aim of moving off the bottom of the Ladbrokes Premiership. The threat of relegation has been real all season. The situation is now critical and there is no room for error.

“The moment the referee ended the game against Rangers, I was already focused on Hibs because that is the most important for Hearts,” explained Dikamona. “We enjoyed Saturday but the most important is to stay in the league. I know I have a chance to start at Easter Road. From now, every game will be important.

“It doesn’t matter if we win tonight and then lose on Saturday if we are still bottom of the league. Hibs is a big game but not the biggest. Every game from now on will be important. We need confidence and we need to win every league game to get points. We are bottom of the league and that’s not the position Hearts should be.”

A tenacious and aggressive performance against Rangers provided good preparation for the derby. Hearts must replicate Saturday’s performance this evening to have any chance of winning on the other side of Edinburgh.

“We need to be honest – Hibs are on a good run right now and they have won some games,” admitted Dikamona. “It is always tough to play there because they have a good team, good fans and a good stadium. Saturday was good preparation for the derby because it gave us confidence. I hope we will be able to build on that victory and do something good.”

Another commanding display from the deputy centre-half would also help.

“For a long time I have prepared myself to play because that’s my job. I need to be ready,” said Dikamona, mindful that he is very much a squad player when every Hearts player is fit.

“We lost John with a bad injury but even last week, before the Rangers game, I felt the manager maybe hesitated to put me in the team. I was ready for these games so maybe that’s why I was so focused.

“The fact we did not concede a goal on Saturday was so important because we have lost so many goals in the last few games. It was really important to stop that and get a clean sheet. I am really happy about that. It is not easy to come on in this kind of game.”

At 29, Dikamona again finds his future uncertain with his Hearts contract due to expire in May. He has no problem with his status as third-choice centre-back at Tynecastle Park behind Souttar and Craig Halkett, but has no idea if he will be there next season.

All he can concentrate on is the period between now and the summer. Chances are he will remain Halkett’s partner for the moment with Souttar unlikely to play again during the current campaign. It is a chance for Dikamona to prove his worth.

He knows what he wants to achieve, although he has even more important things on his mind. The defender knows there are bigger issues at stake over the coming weeks than his own personal situation.

“My contract finishes in May but, if I have to leave at the end of the season, I want to make sure the club stays in the league. I don’t want to leave after being a part of the Hearts team which went down. I don’t want that. My focus is not on my contract, it is on giving everything to make sure we stay up. At the end, I will have what I deserve. That’s it.”