Novikovas hoping to catch Laszlo's eye

Arvydas Novikovas vows to do everything possible to remain part of Hearts boss Csaba Laszlo's plans following his surprise full debut in the Edinburgh derby.

The 18-year-old winger played for more than an hour of Saturday's goalless Clydesdale Bank Premier League draw against Hibernian. Having made his first-team debut as a substitute at Celtic at the end of last season, the derby was another memorable milestone in the youngster's career.

"To play in the Edinburgh derby was a special moment for me, especially as it was my first start for the club," Novikovas told Hearts News Today. "But I have to make sure I remain in the manager's plans by working hard in training and making the most of any opportunities that come along."

He added: "I had heard a lot about the game from the guys and to actually play in it was great. The atmosphere was very special with the stadium packed with supporters.

"I felt honoured to start such an important game for the club."

Novikovas had a chance to net a second-half winner against Hibs but he failed to connect properly with his scissors kick.

"I just just didn't catch it the way I needed to," he added. "That was a shame as it would have been a dream to have scored against Hibs.

"It was a better performance from us, though, and if we can keep improving then I am confident we can start climbing the table.

"We know we are good enough to be higher up than we are but we can only do that by getting results."