It looks as if James Wilson has what it takes to make the grade at Hearts. But the schoolboy striker had to tell the janny he’d scored in the Edinburgh derby.
Wilson came off the bench at Easter Road in October to rescue a point for Neil Critchley‘s side against Hibs. That was just his second senior goal in maroon after netting in Critchley’s first game as the Jambos put St Mirren to the sword to get his reign up and running. It’s been a struggle for the capital club since, but they look to be knuckling down now after a draw and two wins in their last three outings.
After a goal in Hearts’ disastrous Europa Conference League exit to Petrocub of Moldova, Wilson bagged a brace in the Highlands, although a stoppage time collapse saw Hearts leave DIngwall with point instead of three. He’s now on five for the season, but just as important are his studies at Balerno High – one of the capital’s SFA performance schools that counts a certain Craig Gordon amongst its alumni.
And while Wilson is making a name for himself in maroon, he revealed not everyone is right up to date with how he’s faring in the Hearts first team. He told Sky Sports: “It’s a bit weird going in. you can see younger kids looking at you.
“The funniest moment was probably the day after the derby. I went in and saw a janitor and he asked me if I saw the game the other day. Just kind of glanced at him and said, ‘I scored in it,’ and you just kind of saw his face go ‘what?’
“I said, ‘I scored in it’ and you saw his face light up. The rest of the day he just kept staring at me like I was some sort of weird guy.”
And how did Wilson celebrate his derby impact? “I had a PE project I had to do that night,” he admitted. “The balance is hard. I speak to my parents a lot about that, just making sure I keep on top of the school work, going home and doing it after training.”