Lewis Moore: I thought I was finished at Hearts but now I'm fighting for survival and a new contract

Lewis Moore had virtually accepted his Hearts career was over as recently as six weeks ago. Now he is back at the club where he has spent the majority of his life and finds himself battling to save them from relegation.

The drastic turnaround in fortunes is not lost on the 21-year-old winger. His contract expires at the end of the season and he returned to Riccarton from Falkirk in January following a fourth loan spell in four years. He was firmly prepared for a fifth temporary move.

Yet Daniel Stendel identified Moore’s industry and attacking mindset as attributes he wanted in the Hearts first team. The player was swiftly promoted and is enjoying an unexpected second wind in maroon, if not the predicament Hearts are in at the bottom of the Premiership.

“It’s actually quite hard for me to believe, to be honest,” Moore told the Evening News. “I was on loan at Falkirk and something wasn’t right from the start. I don’t know what it was. I only played about two hours in the whole six months.

“I came back here and just thought I would be sent back out on loan. Obviously, the new gaffer is attack-minded, he loves people who work hard, and I suppose I do that. I run about and I always want to go forward. Maybe he thought I could play a part in his team.

“In my head, with the way the past year and a half had gone, I just felt that was me [at Hearts]. I’m not saying it won’t pan out that way but I’ve given myself a chance. Hopefully when I’m on the pitch I can show that I want to be here and, obviously, we want to be playing in the top league.”

Moore survived a relegation battle four years ago at the opposite end of the Scottish Professional Football League spectrum. His first loan from Hearts was to Cowdenbeath under Gary Locke, who is also now back at Tynecastle Park as a club ambassador.

A tension-filled penalty-shootout triumph against East Kilbridge kept the Fife club in the fourth tier at the end of season 2016/17. Never did Moore imagine fighting the drop with Hearts given their post-administration rebuild since 2014.

Tomorrow’s meeting with Hamilton and next Friday’s trip to St Mirren may define the Edinburgh club’s season as they engage with their closest relegation rivals. This is the reality which has hit home since Moore returned from Falkirk.

“I was away for the first half of the season and coming back to it is hard,” he admitted. “After Wednesday night [5-0 loss at Celtic] we have two massive games, probably the biggest of the season. We have just got to completely forget about the Celtic game. This is a dogfight and we need to come out on top.

“These are must-win. These are probably the biggest games of the young boys’ careers. It’s the biggest games of my career, anyway. We need to make sure we win.”

He is not the only youth academy graduate taking some of the strain. Teenagers Andy Irving and Euan Henderson have been heavily involved since the turn of the year as Stendel tries to use their energy and enthusiasm.

“It is very hard, to be fair,” explained Moore. “The gaffer is putting you out there and you can either sink or swim.

“I was in a relegation battle with Cowdenbeath years ago. I know it’s not the same level but I’ve had that experience and it’s not nice going through it. Everyone is up tight. We just have to do it on the park.”

Moore and others derive belief from Stendel’s confidence in youth. Irving and Henderson have both spoken on these pages recently about the German’s coaching methods and how he has improved their game on the training field. Moore is in the same camp, revealing that players are almost ordered to go forward with the ball whenever they receive it.

“There is such a difference. You feel he believes in you,” said Moore. “When you get the ball, he is telling you to just go forward. In your mind, you’re not scared to lose the ball. The only thing he asks is that you win it back as soon as you lose it.

“For young players like me, Hendo, Andy, you are confident going into games. Before, nothing to do with the gaffer, you were maybe hesitant to to try things. Now you have to do it or the manager will not be happy.”

Although eager to stay with Hearts beyond the summer, Moore may need to wait until the club’s fate is decided. There have been no talks as yet regarding a contract extension as all concerned want to know which league the club will occupy next season.

“I haven’t had any talks yet. Some of the younger boys have been told what is happening but I just need to wait and see how the next few weeks go,” said Moore. “I want to be playing my football for Hearts. I’ve been here since under-10s so I’ve been around a long time.”