BEHIND the toothy grin and unkempt hairstyle, Ruben Palazuelos is a serious footballer. Tonight at Falkirk marks his 23rd consecutive start for Hearts, confirming him as a mainstay and catalyst of the team's revitalisation under Stephen Frail.
A more genuine character you couldn't hope to meet, which makes Palazuelos' recent imperious form all the more apt. The Spaniard's game exhibits stereotypical southern-European characteristics based on technique and sound ball retention, yet he has r
isen to prominence in Scotland by successfully adding some necessary grit to his repertoire.
The transformation hasn't bypassed Frail. Palazuelos barely featured during former coach Angel Chervenkov's time in Edinburgh but has started every match of Frail's interim reign. The fact that Hearts' midfield has looked increasingly assured with every passing week is no coincidence.
With a beautiful Hispanic-English accent, the 25-year-old describes how he initially struggled adapting to new surroundings in the Scottish league. When you're used to playing football in the blazing heat of Torrelavega or Salonika, kicking and rushing is the last thing on the agenda. But Palazuelos quickly realised that some Scottish traits needed incorporating into his football when he arrived in Edinburgh last summer following spells in Spain and Greece.
Greater involvement during the early months of the campaign would undoubtedly see him challenging for the club's player of the year award. He has been that impressive, and intends to continue in the same vein during the final three games of the season. "Things have been much better for me since Shaggy took the team," said Palazuelos.
"He is a man of the club. He speaks with all the players and keeps people happy. We have won quite a lot of games under him. When the other manager was here I didn't play. For three months I got nothing, only some games as substitute. With Shaggy I always play.
"I think I'm playing well now but next season will be better. Scottish football has been difficult for me because it's different to what I am used to. Last season I was in Greece with Aris Thessaloniki, then Spain before that. I am comfortable on the ground and my football is slow, a typical Spanish player.
"Here everything is quickly – pass, move. I am used to taking time, passing, getting the ball and moving it on. This has probably been the biggest problem for me but I feel I am getting better.
"In Greece and Spain it's not like that. You can pass and move and there is no pressing. But here, it's one or two touches and after that, if you don't pass, it's tackle and lose the ball. In training I practice looking and passing quickly. I don't lose the ball any more," he laughed.
Tonight at the Falkirk Stadium, as has been the case for the last 22 matches, it's a case of Palazuelos and AN other for Hearts' central midfield berths. Frail has found a dependable anchor for his engine room and won't tinker with a successful formula.
After completing a loan spell with Aris last season, Palazuelos voluntarily bought out the remainder of his contract with the Spanish club Gimnastica to join Hearts. He was convinced that the kind of prosperity now evident in his game wouldn't be difficult to come by. However, his initial excitement was extinguished when the languid Bulgarian Chervenkov arrived in a coaching role only weeks later.
"I don't understand why Angel didn't play me more. I always trained hard and I thought I played well when I was given a chance. Only he can say," said the Spaniard. "Maybe Angel didn't like me or liked other midfielders, like Eggert Jonsson or Michael Stewart.
"When I wasn't playing I simply did more training, but those first three or four months were difficult for my mentality. Training and not playing is hard to accept.
"I never spoke with Angel about why I didn't play because I have respect for the other players who were in the team. I wasn't going to ask 'why are you playing Eggert or Stewart?'.
"I just did training and more training and, when I got my opportunity, I stayed in the team."
He helped cement his place with a goal on Hearts' last visit to Falkirk but ultimately left frustrated as John Hughes side effected a dramatic come-from-behind victory with two goals in the final 12 minutes.
Honours remain even between the clubs following three meetings this season, each claiming a victory before March's goalless draw at Tynecastle. But Palazuelos senses that Hearts are about to edge themselves in front in the series, despite the likely absences of Christian Nade and Audrius Ksanavicius.
"I feel good about the game because we won our last two games. The atmosphere is good and everyone is together. It's more of the same," he said, conscious that a successful end to the current campaign can only augur well for next season. When the new season starts I will have adapted more and I want a good pre-season so the supporters can see me get better," he added. "I signed a contract for two years with a two-year option. At the end of next season, Hearts must decide if I will stay for two more years.
"This is only my first year in Scotland and I can get better. Last year I joined during pre-season in Austria and it wasn't possible to train very well. I had some injury problems after leaving Greece and it wasn't good preparation for me.
"Now I feel strong, my confidence is high and I am playing some of my best football."
Should Vladimir Romanov indulge in a summer rebuilding programme at Tynecastle, he would be well advised to construct his new team around Palazuelos.
The full article contains 972 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
