Hearts midfielder Cammy Devlin knows importance of Edinburgh derby ahead of Hibs clash

Hearts midfielder Cammy Devlin is determined to show fans that he fully appreciates the meaning of the Edinburgh derby when he turns out at Easter Road on Sunday.

The combative Australian quickly adapted to the rivalry as he went through his first season unbeaten against Hibernian.

Summer signing Jorge Grant this week revealed one Hearts player had been less prepared for the intricacies of football in the Scottish capital after going out wearing a green top, only to be told by supporters that it was not an acceptable fashion item.

Devlin said: “I’m not going to name which players have been out wearing green but obviously they have learnt their lesson.

“It’s just a t-shirt but I guess for the fans it has that meaning and we want to show on the pitch what it means to us as a team as well.

“You get derbies back home but not with the same meaning and same purpose.

“To be a player and rock up at Hibs’ stadium with our away end sold out, that’s unreal, and it just creates a special atmosphere for us players. I’m super-excited for it and that’s on behalf of the whole football club.

“The first bits of the game are always frantic, that’s what I found last season, but we will hopefully let our football do the talking and play to the structures we get coached to do every day.

“The tackles do go flying in but hopefully that will suit my game and suit our team.”

Devlin has been joined by two compatriots since arriving at Tynecastle last summer, with Nathaniel Atkinson signing in January and Kye Rowles this summer.

A number of other cinch Premiership clubs have also turned to Australian players with former Hearts defender Ryan McGowan recently signing for St Johnstone for instance.

“It’s quite funny, I feel each week in this transfer window there’s a new Aussie coming, not only to Hearts but there’s been a few clubs,” Devlin said.

“Dundee United have two very good players, two at St Mirren, one at Hibs and there’s a few more, one at Livingston. Aaron Mooy is one of our best players in the Socceroos, he has joined Ange (Postecoglou) at Celtic.

“It’s super-exciting. You might not know them that well but you are just matches with all the Aussies and go and say hello to them and see how they are going.

“The ones I have been a bit closer with, I have sent them a message to see if they needed any help, just like I did with Nate and Kye now that they have arrived. It just makes it a lot easier for them to settle in.

“Since Kye has joined, he has been unreal, just like Nate when he came in January. It’s super exciting to have Aussies doing well over here.”

Meanwhile, Hearts manager Robbie Neilson will make a decision soon on trialist Jacob Davenport, a 23-year-old midfielder who was released by Blackburn in the summer.

“We brought him up to have a look at him,” Neilson said. “We are still assessing him at the moment and we will probably make a decision at the end of this week and over the weekend.”

Neilson was coy over reports linking Hearts with Lee Seung-woo, an attacker who plays for Suwon in South Korea.

“We have been linked with loads of players recently,” Neilson said.

“I’m not going to comment on other teams’ players but we are looking in those areas to try and strengthen.”