Daniel Oyegoke happy at Hearts despite difficult start at Tynecastle

Daniel Oyegoke feels ready to thrive at Hearts after overcoming a difficult start to his time in Edinburgh.

The 21-year-old defender joined the William Hill Premiership club on loan from Brentford in the summer but managed only one start in the first nine games of the season under previous boss Steven Naismith.

That was away to Dundee in August, when the Englishman was subbed at half-time while the Jambos trailed 3-0 on their way to the first of eight consecutive defeats.

Since Naismith’s sacking, however, Oyegoke has started three of Hearts’ last four games and he scored his first goal in the recent 4-0 win over St Mirren.

“It took a while, it took longer than I wanted, but I feel like I’ve arrived a bit now,” he said ahead of Wednesday’s match at home to Kilmarnock.

“I’m getting more minutes and I’m enjoying my football so I’m getting settled now.

“It’s always difficult when all you want to do is play football and you’re maybe not playing as much as you want or not playing as well as you want to. But I think we’ve kind of got through that stage now.

“It was my first time moving out of the country, so there were a lot of different things for me, but I’m happy here now and I feel settled here in Edinburgh, so I’m just ready to kick on.”

Oyegoke was utilised at right-centre-back in some of his early appearances for Hearts but an ACL injury sustained by Gerald Taylor has given him a chance to play more regularly in his preferred position of right-back.

“I’m happy to play wherever the manager wants me to play,” he said. “I like getting forward, so I can do that more as a right-back, but if the gaffer needs me to play centre-half, then I’m happy to do that as well.

“I think either way it was just about getting an opportunity to show what I can do. I wish Gerald all the best, we’re good mates, so hopefully he has a speedy recovery and I can just kick on and play as much football as I can.”

Hearts remain joint-bottom of the Premiership ahead of the visit of Killie but they have lost only one of their last six matches since Naismith’s sacking last month. Oyegoke is convinced they are ready to start motoring up the table.

“From what I’ve seen of the teams we’ve played against and the small experience I have of Scottish football, I think we have a hugely talented squad, and I think on our day we can pretty much beat anyone,” he said. “It’s up to us now to get results together and finish as high as we can.”