Craig Levein praises Aaron Hickey for his response after poor first half showing against Rangers

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Hearts youngster Aaron Hickey has been reportedly attracting interest from a number of clubs, including Rangers, who he faced on Sunday afternoon at Tynecastle.

Hearts manager Craig Levein has praised youngster Aaron Hickey for standing up and proving his worth after he got ‘stick’ in the dressing room for his first-half display against Rangers on Sunday at Tynecastle.

The Gers recorded a 1-1 draw against Levein’s side, with striker Alfredo Morelos cancelling out Ryotaro Meshino’s goal after just six minutes – Hickey was at fault for Morelos’ goal because it came from a corner which he conceded following a mistake.

Nonetheless, The Daily Star previously claimed that English Premier League champions Manchester City and Rangers are keen on highly-rated fullback Hickey.

Speaking to Sportsound on BBC Radio Scotland (20/10/2019 at 2:35 pm), Levein lauded youngster Hickey for coming back and fighting after the break, which would have no doubted pleased those who are keen to secure his signature.

“I thought he was excellent in the second half,” Levein told Sportsound. “He got a bit of stick at half-time, which he hasn’t really had in all the matches he has been involved in. I thought he stood up to be counted in the second half.

“He moved over to the other side, and you would have no idea whether he is a right-back or a left-back with the level of performances he puts in. Credit to him again. He’s a young boy making his way in the game and he didn’t have the best first half, but he made up for it in the second.”

The manner in which Hickey reacted to his first-half display is perhaps the most impressive part of his game because he is showing more than the quality he has with his feet.

With Rangers seemingly keen, they would have no doubt kept a close eye on the youngster and been impressed by his showing after the break.

Hickey’s ability to be versatile, and not forgetting that he is still 17, would have impressed those at Ibrox, but they do face competition for his talents.