Clarke raised eyebrows when he claimed the Jambos were ‘better than the sum of their parts’
Craig Halkett speaks to the media(Image: Getty Images)
Craig Halkett insists a Hearts title win will be the perfect consolation prize if he fails to force his way into Scotland boss Steve Clarke’s World Cup squad.
The Jambos defender has been a stand-out for Derek McInnes’ table-topping Tynecastle outfit having finally overcome the injury issues that had dogged him for years in Gorgie.
But despite being key to Hearts’ sensational title bid, he’s been overlooked for Scotland honours.
Clarke opted to stick by Halkett’s Hibs rival Grant Hanley for March’s friendly encounters even though the 34-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at Easter Road.
And he raised eyebrows before the game when he claimed the Jambos were “better than the sum of their parts”.
Fast forward to this week and the Hampden boss has warned cap hopefuls like Halkett that they will find it “difficult” to break in to his group as his mind was “more or less set”.
That might come as a blow to the Hearts ace but Halkett hopes he’ll have something else to celebrate at Tynecastle in the days ahead.
He said: “Winning the title would be an unbelievable achievement for everyone here. Like you said, probably something nobody would have imagined at the start of the season.
“Regardless of what happens on the Scotland front, Hearts has always been my full focus and it will be until the end of the season.
“Have I allowed myself to think about going to the World Cup with Scotland? Not really, to be honest.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t something I was thinking about back in March when the squad came out because I felt I was having a great season. But again, I wasn’t too disappointed not to be included.
“I’ve just been focusing on my football at Hearts and trying to do the best I can for Hearts. If that takes me somewhere else, then brilliant. If it doesn’t, then it’s back to just focusing on Hearts.”
Halkett’s aim now is to help McInnes men pick up a huge win when they travel to Fir Park tonight, where a win will see them go six points clear.
But the 30-year-old will allow himself to tune in on Sunday as closest rivals Celtic face Rangers in the final Old Firm crunch of the campaign.
“I’ll watch it,” he grinned. “In general, I’m a football fan — a Scottish football fan. I watch the majority of games if they’re on.
“But first it’s full focus on Saturday. Once that game’s done, I’ll have my usual Sunday, chill out with my family and watch whatever’s on.
“I know from your point of view our game at Fir Park it’s not a normal game, but for us it is.
“It’s the same as it’s been all season.
“It’s a chance to go away to Motherwell, who are doing really well and have had a great season. We know how tough it’s going to be. The previous three games against them have all been really difficult.
“So it’s just full focus on that. We don’t think about what it means if we win, draw or lose. It’s just about going there and trying to pick up three points. Hopefully if we do that, then we can look at the next game.”
Boss McInnes has been hailed this week having scooped both PFA Scotland and Premiership sponsors Glen’s manager of the year awards.
And Halkett is adamant those prizes are richly deserved after an incredible first campaign in the Gorgie hot seat.
He said: “He’s been massive for me.
“Right from when we first spoke on the phone before pre-season. I didn’t know him personally before, but we’d had a couple of conversations earlier in my career and I’d always admired what he’d done at his other clubs.
“He was honest and said it was a fresh start for everyone when he came into the building. I obviously believed in myself that if I came back fit and stayed fit, I could play games.
“He just said that if I came back and did well, I could be a big player for the team, and thankfully it’s turned out that way.
“He’s put a lot of belief in me and given me confidence back that I’ve probably always had, but maybe lost over the last few years. To get that back, I’ll always be thankful to him.”