Hearts star Jamie Walker hopes St Andrews trip will kick-start season

HEARTS star Jamie Walker reckons the Jambos’ St Andrews training camp will pay dividends ahead of their relegation six-pointer against St Mirren.

Interim boss Austin MacPhee whisked his players away to Fife for a two-day stint in Fife on Wednesday.

The players were put through their paces at Barnett Park, the home of local juniors side St Andrews United, and stayed at a nearby hotel overnight as MacPhee seeks to create a ‘cup final’ feel ahead of a pivotal fixture.

He is hopeful the change of scenery, allied with a chance to build camaraderie and work on tactical set-ups, can kick-start their campaign. Hearts are currently level on points with St Mirren at the foot of the Premiership.

And Walker, who could make his first start since recovering from a fractured leg sustained in August, insists the squad have felt the benefits of the excursion.

“It’s been good for the boys to get away as a group and work on a few things that Austin [MacPhee] was keen on us to work on,” he said. “It’s all been positive so far.

“The St Mirren game is a massive game for us. Everyone knows that this season hasn’t been good enough and we’ve let a lot of people down.

“We need to start winning games again on Saturday. And hopefully it proves to be the first three points of many.