Will hearts win at Ibrox? I'm a believer, says Kisnorbo

FORMER Hearts star Patrick Kisnorbo insisted today that "self-belief" is the key to the current crop of Tynecastle stars beating Rangers at Ibrox this weekend.

Kisnorbo, now with English Championship outfit Leicester City, was an integral part of the last Hearts team to win in Govan when a Joe Hamill strike on May 12, 2004 gave the Jambos a rare victory.

The Australian international has fond memories of that day more than two-and-a-half years ago, which gave him his only win over the Old Firm during his two-year Hearts career.

Indeed, the goal gave the Gorgie club their first triumph at Ibrox since an Allan Johnston hat-trick eight years previously and helped cement the Jambos place as the undisputed third force in Scottish football.

Kisnorbo may have moved on to pastures new as he, Alan Maybury, Mark de Vries and eventually Hamill, followed boss Craig Levein to the Walkers Stadium but he reckons the secret to upsetting the Glasgow giants remains the same.

"Sometimes teams were beaten before they even went on the pitch when they went through there and the one thing that Craig Levein used to try to drill into us was that we were capable of going there and winning," said 25-year-old Kisnorbo.

"We genuinely had that self belief and, although it wouldn't always work out, we always gave them a good game. Craig Levein believed in his players and we all believed in him as a manager.

"I remember the game well - you don't get that many wins against the Old Firm in Glasgow! It was about the second or third last game of the season and I was looking forward to going back home after a long year at Hearts.

"It was always an occasion I enjoyed though regardless of whether it was the first or last game of the season as Ibrox and Parkhead are great stadiums to play at.

"We had to weather the storm initially but, as the game wore on, we got better and, in the end, I think we thoroughly deserved the three points.

"It had been coming for a while as we'd been very unlucky in Glasgow that season and had come very close.

"I sensed that might be the day we did it and it was great to play a part in a result like that."

Since Kisnorbo's departure, much has changed at Hearts with an almost entirely different playing squad and a new face in the Tynecastle dug-out.

The intervening years have seen the club go through a number of managers, finish as runners-up in the SPL, win the Tennent's Scottish Cup and feature in the Qualifying rounds of the lucrative Champions League.

Despite Hearts being headline news in this country on an almost daily basis, Kisnorbo, recently linked with a move to Fulham, conceded it's difficult to keep up to date with what's going on at the club from his Leicester home.

But he says the Jambos result is always one he looks out for. He said: "Out of the current squad I really only know Craig Gordon, Robbie Neilson and Paul Hartley from when I was there - most of the other names are new.

"When Mr Romanov first came over there were a lot of changes and I think everyone knew then that there would be a lot going on. He was and still is the sort of guy who likes to do it his way.

"I still keep an eye out for the matches and the results though because I loved my time at Hearts and have them to thank for giving me my chance in this country.

"Hearts will always be a part of me and the supporters were absolutely fantastic. We've both moved on which is football but that doesn't mean I'm not interested."

And this weekend, Kisnorbo is keeping his fingers crossed that Hearts can re-ignite their push for second spot in the SPL by winning at Ibrox to cut the gap with Rangers to just two points.

"I see Hearts have been doing well of late and Rangers were going through a bit of a tough time, albeit they've had a couple of decent results since Walter Smith came in.

"On the face of it Hearts have a lot of big-name players and there's no reason why they can't go to Ibrox and win the match if they get that wee bit of luck you need through there.

"They have match-winners like Paul Hartley and they've given the Old Firm some good games already this season so there's every reason to be confident."

When Kisnorbo quit Edinburgh to follow Levein south, the Romanov regime was just kicking-in - sparking a sense of anticipation among both players and supporters.

Despite the promise of better times ahead, the versatile Kisnorbo, who played 60 games for Hearts, felt the time was right to move on and try his luck elsewhere.

And he says events at Leicester, where he is the second top goalscorer this season despite operating as a centre-half, are starting to mirror the early stages of Romanov's Tynecastle tenure.

"Things are going well for me down here and I can't complain at all," said the amiable Australian.

"I'm second top scorer and am playing in a really good league with a lot of very competitive teams and I'm enjoying testing myself every week against top players.

"We've had an up and down season so far and our form has been indifferent but there is talk of big changes at this club, much the way there were at Hearts, with Milan Mandaric interested in coming in almost any day now.

"It's an exciting time as he took over Portsmouth and you only have to look at them now as they're pushing for a European place in the Premiership and it goes without saying we'd love to do the same.

"The club has had some financial problems the way that Hearts did but Mr Mandaric is talking about investing money in the playing squad and turning things round.

"We have huge potential at the club and, like Hearts, have a great loyal support. I reckon it's only a matter of time before we realise our potential and I'm looking forward to being a part of that."

Taken from the Scotsman