Stephen Kingsley is hoping the Spanish sunshine can spark a revival when Hearts return to Premiership action on December 17.
The defender had been missing for a month after suffering an injury in the Europa Conference League clash with Latvians RFS. But he returned in a bounce game against former club Swansea City and now he's stepping it up in the Spanish sunshine as the Jambos make their preparations of the resumption of the Scottish action.
Hearts fell down to fifth before the break after losing to Rangers and drawing with Livingston. But Kingsley reckons they came come back flying out of the traps. He'll be back involved today when Robbie Neilson's side take on Blackburn Rovers in a friendly in Marbella with a second match against Almeria on Sunday.
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Kingsley told Hearts TV: "I’m feeling good: rested and ready to go, really. It’s good to be back in among the games and now we’ve got a few matches to look forward to over in Marbella. I’m just looking to get used to it again and get going.
“It’s just good to away with everyone, with all the boys. Some of them didn’t get that experience in the summer. It can help with the togetherness again and see where we want to go in this second part of the season. We’re trying to get that embedded in the friendlies and training that’s coming up so we’ll be ready to go come the next game of the season.
“The break has, for sure, been a little different, but we had something similar last season in January. When you’re off, you just keep yourself ticking over and then you come back to training and get your fitness levels up.
“You have to be fit and raring to go because there’s a big second half of the season coming up. I think I can speak for everyone here that we’ll be ready for it.”
Kingsley and the rest of the Hearts squad are thrilled for Kye Rowles, Cammy Devlin and Nate Atkinson who are facing the sensational prospect of taking on Argentina in the last 16 of the World Cup.
He added: “It’s amazing and we’re so delighted for Kye, delighted for all three of them. “To be there in the first place was an incredible achievement and we’re all just ecstatic for them. It’s Argentina they’re playing in the Round of 16 – it doesn’t get much better than that. I know they’ll be delighted, and we’ll send them our best wishes ahead of that game.”
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