Hearts manager Critchley keen to make big deal of Wilson after teenager’s derby heroics
Neil Critchley revealed he wants to reward derby day hero James Wilson with a new contract after the 17-year-old rescued a point for Hearts in their 1-1 draw with HIbs at Easter Road.
The highly-rated product of the Gorgie club’s academy made it two goals in two league appearances off the bench for Critchley, having also scored in a 4-0 win over St Mirren in the new boss’s first game in charge.
Wilson’s 86th-minute goal saw Hearts come from behind to maintain Critchley’s unbeaten start and keep them above Hibs on goal difference at the bottom of the table.
Several English clubs, including Aston Villa, have been monitoring Wilson, whose current contract is due to expire in the summer.
‘It (a new contract) has been mentioned and it’s on the radar,’ said Critchley.
‘Part of recruitment is retaining your best players and particularly your young players, so I’m sure that’s something we’ll discuss.
Hearts’ James Wilson races off to celebrate after scoring a late equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Hibs
Hearts manager Critchley says that part of his job is to retain the club’s best young players
Critchley says he brought on Wilson at Easter Road because his team needed energy in attack
‘You want to give young players an opportunity, but also if they do well, then you want to reward them.
‘I hope James has a big future here, I’ve been really impressed with him since I’ve come in.
‘When you need a goal and you need a bit of energy at the top end of the pitch, then I’m delighted to get a chance to put him on the pitch.
‘He’s a goalscorer, he’s a goal poacher. I was actually ribbing him in the dressing room because I wasn’t sure he got the final touch on the ball but he insists he did.
‘Alan Forrest got a lovely little touch, first contact on the long throw, and it sort of had a deflection and then James was there and that’s what goalscorers do.’
Although Hearts lacked the fluency of Critchley’s opening two wins against St Mirren and Omonia, the Englishman was relatively satisfied.
‘It’s a mixture of emotions because I’m pleased with the character we showed from going 1-0 down but also disappointed with the goal we conceded,’ he said. ‘We were in the ascendancy at that point. We wanted to come here and play our way, get control of the game. We got into some dangerous, threatening positions and failed.
‘But I’d say our character after conceding was brilliant and I think we were deserving of a point.’
There was a sour note to the afternoon when Hearts left-back James Penrice appeared to be hit by a coin thrown from the crowd, with the incident drawn to the attention of referee Don Robertson.
