Liam Boyce hopes to repay Hearts' show of faith after they stuck by him.
The Jambos hitman was ruled out for the majority of last campaign after suffering a cruciate injury but Robbie Neilson tied him down to fresh terms. It was a move that really helped the hitman settle down and take his time over his recovery knowing he would not be out of contract and sweating on his future.
The former Tynecastle gaffer called the Northern Ireland international two weeks prior to his surgery to reassurance him they club wanted him and now he is back out on the training field and desperate to give back to the Gorgie side. His new deal takes him through to the end of the new season with the option of a further campaign. He said: “Getting the new deal was massive. I’d been talking to the club about it because I was in my last year.
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“I was devastated after the injury, and when you know you are out of contract, you think about rushing back to prove yourself.
“But Robbie phoned me two weeks before the operation and said, ‘We want you to stay at the club’.
“I appreciated that from Hearts. It helped me settle down and have some security. I didn’t want to rush back and risk the injury happening once again.
“It was massive for my family as it’s important to have that security. All I’ve hoped for is to feel wanted by my club and my team.
“It gives you confidence that they think highly enough of you, and believe you’ll come back and be as good a player as you were before.
“It gives you a push and you feel like you owe them something. I just want to get back and show everyone just what I can do.”
