Peter Haring battles through injury to aid Hearts’ cause

Peter Haring has given Hearts’ title ambitions a clean bill of health – even though he has been forced to postpone surgery to help out Craig Levein’s injury-hit squad.

The Austrian midfielder is battling on with a hernia problem but will eventually require an operation.

In the meantime, boss Craig Levein is grateful for the 25-year-old’s willingness to grin and bear it as he looks to cope without sidelined key men Christophe Berra, Steven Naismith, John Souttar and Uche Ikpeazu.

But Haring says as long as he can stand the pain, he will report for duty.

“I do play with a little bit of a problem but I can handle it,” he said.

“As long as I’m fit enough to play I will do that. We’ll just see how it goes over the next few weeks and games.

“It doesn’t really impact my training. I can do everything in training and out in the games.

“It hasn’t really had a big influence in my last few games, so I feel ready, I feel good enough to play.

“Do I feel under pressure to play because of the injuries? Not really. The last week was maybe the biggest week of my career with the semi-final at Murrayfield, the derby against Hibs and the game at Celtic Park.

“It didn’t matter if we had every player available or not, I just wanted to play in those games and help the team.

“It was such an amazing week for me to play in those games.”

Haring may have enjoyed the experience of three massive clashes but he would have taken little satisfaction from the two heavy defeats dished out by Celtic either side of a frustrating 0-0 derby draw.

But the former Austria Lustenau man insists the Jambos are still buoyant as they cling on to their spot at the top of the table.

“It was bad in terms of results but when we look at the table we’re still top of the league and with a win against Killie on Saturday we’ll still be there over the next international break and that’s pretty good,” he said ahead of the visit of Steve Clarke’s side to Tynecastle.

“No one expected that before the season started.

“We do have enough confidence. Of course it will be tough on Saturday but we’re good enough to get the three points.”

Haring was lured to Edinburgh this summer with a view to partnering Berra at centre-back but has been pushed further forward in the weeks since.

But he admits leading the Hearts attack against Neil Lennon’s Hibees was a step out of his comfort zone.

He said: “I was signed as a centre-back and pretty early the gaffer moved me to central midfield, which is a position I like to play having done so a lot when I was younger.

“But playing against Hibs as a striker felt a little bit strange.

“The gaffer talked to me the morning before the game about his ideas. I said, ‘Why not, let’s try it’.

“I give my everything no matter where I play and try to do my best. Everyone could see it’s not my first position but if the gaffer asks me to play anywhere else I will never say no, I’ll just try to help the team.”

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