Lithuanian national team pay tribute to Hearts legend Marius Zaliukas

Marius Zaliukas in action for Lithuania. Picture: Getty

The Lithuanian national team paid tribute to Hearts legend Marius Zaliukas on Wednesday evening.

Ahead of the friendly with Faroe Islands players wore t-shirts emblazoned with ‘Zaliukas 6’ on them.

Former Hearts ace Arvydas Novikovas and ex-Hibs midfielder Vykintas Slivka both featured in the 2-1 win.

Zaliukas, who died after a battle with motor neurone disease, would have turned 37 earlier this week.

Tributes have been paid in Lithuania and across Scottish football with former Hearts team-mate Saulius Mikoliunas revealing that Zaliukas had told him “seven or eight years ago” that he had first felt signs of the disease.

Supporters have been paying their respects at a memorial at Tynecastle with a minute’s silence held before the recent league game against Inverness CT for the Scottish Cup-winning captain.

Big Hearts, the community branch of the club, raised £2,012 for MND Scotland through a silent auction of a match-worn Zaliukas Hearts top.