Sitting at the back of the Gorgie Stand as a kid Liam Fox would never have believed one day he’d be moving into the home dug out to take charge. Even for just one game.
So, although it’s not under the circumstances he’d ever have chosen, there’s no way the interim boss is going to waste this afternoon’s 90 minutes against Ross County with Hearts in desperate need of a restart. Fox grew up a dyed-in-the-wool Jambo, idolising John Robertson, Gary Mackay and Gary Locke before progressing to the youth team and onto a playing career with Inverness, Livingston and Raith.
He never did get to pull on the maroon for real as a player. But now the 40-year-old has stepped up from his duties with the B team to take charge of the top team following the sacking of Steven Naismith, he knows he has the power to turn the mood of those punters he used to sit amongst.
Fox is expected to remain in position for a three-game block heading into the international break. Saturday afternoon’s clash with the Staggies is the only one of those games to be played at Tynecastle.
And he said: “Hugely privileged, hugely honoured. The only sadness from it is that it’s come off the back of three really good people losing their jobs. Did I ever think I would get here? No, but it’s okay to dream.
“People have got to have things that they’re striving for, so I’m going to give this my absolute best shot for the players and do everything we possibly can so when the new guy comes in I can pass the baton on.
“I understand it’s only interim, I understand it might only be a week, but it’s a huge thing for me. I want to do everything I possibly can to help the club and the players.
“Was I a week-in-week-out fan? I was, yeah. We were at the back of the Gorgie, me and my dad and my dad’s best mate, John, used to go every week. Don’t tell him this, but John Robertson was always my hero. Scott Crabbe, Gary Mackay then later on Gary Locke, Paul Ritchie, Gaz Naismith and all that. It’s a huge privilege and a huge honour to be sitting here and looking forward to this week.”
The current group of players are in need of a major pick-me up after losing eight games on the spin and Fox will have to do without Gerald Taylor who is set for a “real long period of time” out with a knee injury.
After this afternoon comes a trip to Azerbaijan for the Europa Conference League opener against Dinamo Minsk then Pittodrie and a clash with a high-flying Aberdeen side already 14 points better off.
Fox knows changes are needed after a woeful run. But he won’t be tearing up Naismith’s script completely. The former Dundee United boss said: “I’ll be a wee bit different to Steven just naturally because everybody’s different. Everybody’s got different things that they want and they like to see or they’re demanding from people.
“And that’s not a criticism, but there’s no point in me going and doing exactly the same again because the definition of insanity is doing the same things and expecting different results.
“When you come in and you do this job, you have to put a wee bit of your own personality on it. The real message is there are some really good players in there. Even if this was a longer period, I wouldn’t be reinventing the wheel.
“The hope for me is that I understand the supporters. We’ve had a difficult period just now. The onus is absolutely on us to give them something, to bring them with us, to hopefully see some different things.
“I’m hoping if we bring the supporters with us early in the game that there will be moments when we’re going to need them and they can hopefully pull us through. There’s no doubt Tynecastle when it’s full and it’s rocking can be very, very powerful. So the onus is on us first, as players and staff.”