Peter Martin - My Hearts XI
Formation - 4-3-3
GORDON
MCLAREN
LEVEIN
JARDINE
NAYSMITH
HARTLEY
CAMERON
MACKAY
MCCANN
ADAM
ROBERTSON
Craig Gordon – A top goalkeeper, capped 74 times for Scotland. In two spells at Tynecastle, I can recall countless World class saves he made for club and many more for his country.
Alan McLaren – What a player! He could have played any position in the back four. He could pass the ball and was hard when he needed to be. Injuries curtailed his career.
Craig Levein – A Rolls Royce, it’s as simple as that. He could easily have played for Liverpool in the 80’s. He was that good. Bloody knee injury denied us the best of his ability.
Sandy Jardine – I had him as my co-commentator at Radio Forth. A top-class player who won the PFA player of the year at 37 at Hearts! He played football with a cigar in his mouth! Superb player and even better man.
Gary Naysmith - He had a good left foot and was good going forward. You don’t get a big move to England with no ability. A great lad too.
Paul Hartley – my type of midfielder, a pain in the arse with great technique. Could score goals and pick a fight. What more do you need!
Colin Cameron – I watched him develop at Raith Rovers and blossom at Tynecastle. Great engine and crucial to the success in the 1998 Scottish cup run.
Gary Mackay – I liked Gary in the middle of the park and feel he didn’t get the recognition he deserved for keeping that ball rolling in the right direction. Great engine and could pass forwards, some midfielders still don’t know how to do that!
Neil McCann – Great crosser of the ball and good work rate too.
Stephane Adam – A clever player, who would have been great for Robbo at his peak. Sandy Clark was a close choice in this, but I’ve just decided to go with the French striker.
John Robertson – The best! Robbo scored goals. He scored them in the penalty box. He was like Ronseal, he did exactly what it said on the tin. I loved watching him. Best Hearts player I’ve seen.
Stephen McGowan - My Hearts XI
Formation - 5-3-2
SMITH
JARDINE
PRESSLEY
LEVEIN
MCLAREN
NAYSMITH
HARTLEY
MACKAY
FULTON
COLQUHOUN
ROBERTSON
HENRY SMITH: Growing up, Henry was the goalkeeper of Hearts – full-stop. Nearly 600 appearances across 16 seasons at a time when the club went from relegation fodder to the brink of a league title. An outstanding character as well.
ALAN McLAREN: Because of the trophies he won at Rangers people tend to forget that Alan actually spent far longer at Tynecastle. When I was starting out in journalism he was one of the best young players in the country. Forced to retire at 27 he could have achieved so much more.
STEVEN PRESSLEY: A natural born leader who raised Hearts to a different level. The day of the ‘Riccarton Three’ press conference will live long in my memory. Not everyones cup of tea for some reason, but a very likeable guy and just as courageous off the pitch as he was on it.
SANDY JARDINE: I’m always staggered by the fact that Sandy won the SFWA player of the year award at the age of 37 – a full eleven years after he first won it. By all accounts he gave a gracious acceptance speech at the dinner of 1986 – despite the traumatic events of the day before at Dens Park. A Rolls Royce of a footballer.
CRAIG LEVEIN: Craig Levein the footballer tends to get overlooked these days because of Craig Levein the manager. It’s easy to forget what an outstanding central defender and a warrior he was over 14 years before injuries took their toll. A smart guy who accepts his mistakes with a great sense of humour.
GARY NAYSMITH: The archetypal left-back Naysmith’s career with Everton and Scotland shows what a quality player he was. Young Player of the Year when Hearts won the Scottish Cup. Powered by Duracell.
STEVIE FULTON: The day Billy McNeill compared Fulton to Celtic’s answer to Roberto Baggio after a Scottish Cup semi final win over Hibs he dangled a noose round his neck. Brilliant in the Scottish Cup winning season when folk forget that Hearts actually gave the Old Firm a run for their money in the league as well.
PAUL HARTLEY: Amazing to think that Hartley actually signed for Hearts on a free transfer. Some players just ‘fit’ at a club and while Hartley was terrific elsewhere he had his best years at Hearts imho. Outstanding in the cup winning season of 2005/06.
GARY MACKAY: No idea why, but a Gary MacKay goal always sticks in my mind. Chasing the title Hearts were a nervous side playing against Clydebank at Tynecastle in April 1986. Mackay scored the only goal of the game and it should probably have been the goal that won them the league. 640 competitive appearances for Hearts will never be beaten.
JOHN COLQHOUN: It’s a little know nugget that when Hearts signed John Colqhoun it was Celtic’s Davie Provan they tried to sign first. An intelligent winger who played a more central role at Tynecastle, they never regretted it. Ridiculous that he never won any major honours.
JOHN ROBERTSON: Can’t think of a man or a player who epitomises Hearts better than Wee Robbo. His strike against Dundee United in a 3-0 win in 1985-86 is still one of the best goals I’ve ever seen. Under-rated because he played in a golden era of natural born Scottish centre-forwards. He belonged in that company.