AT THE time, his loan move to Livingston might have felt like he'd just put the final nail in the coffin of his Tynecastle playing days. But Calum Elliot admitted today that his loan spell at Almondvale was the very thing that helped him spark his Hearts career back to life.
The young striker thought that his time with Hearts was over when he was loaned to Livingston but, since his return to Tynecastle in January, has slowly worked his way back into Csaba Laszlo's plans.
He believes that going out on loan turned out t
o be one of the best moves he could ever have made and that he returned to Gorgie with a new-found self- confidence.
He said: "I have played a few games recently and it's nice that we're doing well – hopefully we can continue that until the end of the season.
"To be fair, the biggest step that I took through everything was going out on loan to Livingston. I think going there gave me a massive boost and brought my confidence right up.
"I came back and didn't play for about three months and I didn't know what was going to happen. But the manager took a chance on me and I think I have done okay in the past few games and I would love to keep my place in the team between now and the end of the season."
The striker completed a remarkable turnaround in fortunes this week when he was named the Clydesdale Bank Young Player of the Month for April after a successful return to the top team.
His introduction at Ibrox last month sparked Hearts' comeback from two goals down to earn a draw and he then helped his side to a 3-1 win over Kilmarnock, scoring a double of his own.
Those performances went some way to securing him the award but he admitted that he would have laughed if anyone had predicted his success just a couple of months ago.
After receiving the award, he said: "It was a bit of a surprise but the team is dong well and we have picked up a few good results lately. It's been pleasing to be part of a successful team again.
"If someone had said to me a few months ago that I would get this award, I would just have laughed."
Elliot revealed that Laszlo has come down hard on him since his return to Tynecastle, warning the young striker that he must raise his workrate.
It is advice and guidance that Elliot has been more than happy to take, and reap the rewards from: "When I went to Livingston, I don't think that he had seen me play, or even seen me at all. He has been quite hard on me and told me that I need to work harder and do more. Maybe it has been the kick up the backside that I have needed.
"I think that I have probably worked harder in the past few weeks than I had done in the previous six months.
"I am obviously doing something better now than I was before and I will just have to keep working hard in training. Hopefully if I do that I will be able to keep my place."
In his time at Tynecastle, Elliot has seen a number of changes, from a new owner, new playing staff and the numerous managers Vladimir Romanov has put in place. Despite the turmoil, though, he believes that the experience has been a valuable learning curve for him and that he and his team-mates have come through it as better people and players: "I think I've learned a lot. You get used to different managers, you're playing under different systems and working under different coaches' beliefs.
"The manager just now has come in with a strong kind of discipline and everyone has got to stick by his rules.
"I think that we're doing okay just now but we won't class it as a success at the end of the season unless we clinch third spot.
"From the first moment that the manager walked in the door there was respect there and, as the season has gone on, that respect has gone up even further.
"We've all seen how good he is in training and how good he is at motivating you for games."
Despite his growing reputation in Scotland and steering Hearts into contention for a place in the Europa League this season, Laszlo is not in the running for the manager of the year but Elliot reckons that his boss would be happier with third place in the SPL table than an award for his mantelpiece, and the European adventure that comes with it. "I think that if you asked the manager what he thought, to get third spot in the league this season that would probably be good enough for him."
