Hearts full-back Christian Borchgrevink has reclaimed his starting spot under manager Wouter Vrancken following an injury-plagued campaign. The Norwegian defender is flourishing in Gorgie’s new attacking setup as Tynecastle targets a tenth game unbeaten tonight at Falkirk.
Life on the sidelines in Gorgie was brutal last season while the Jambos pushed at the top of the table. Borchgrevink was restricted to just eight appearances before Christmas after an early injury hit. He said: “I think for any footballer, when you end up in a situation where you’re left out of the team, everything kind of just spirals down from there. Your own life, going home, your mood is not the same.”
Everything changed when the previous boss jumped ship to Rangers, clearing the path for Vrancken’s arrival. The former Valerenga man took his chance with both hands during pre-season. Borchgrevink revealed: “I didn’t know this summer what the situation would be, if they wanted me to play or not. And then obviously with the manager going to Rangers and the new manager coming in, I was told that ‘you will get your chance’ and I did. And now I’m happy.”
Vrancken unshackled the full-back, replacing defensive overload with raw attacking intent. Borchgrevink explained: “I knew I was coming in with a blank slate, and then being able to just play my game again. I knew the requirements from the right-back position would be quite different.”
He has already bagged a goal against Inverness and chipped in with assists. But his heroic goal-line block in Vienna three weeks ago proved his defensive heart. Reflecting on that crucial block, he added: “I think for the fans and maybe for people watching, that would probably be a moment that would have changed some people’s opinion on me, possibly.”
Hearts can leapfrog Rangers into second spot tonight. The momentum is building fast in Gorgie.
