I love Cammy Devlin to bits - especially the part of him that would slide tackle a brick wall for his team. But there comes a time when a player’s willingness to put their body on the line has to be taken out their hands.
Head injuries are the prime example. Devlin literally bled for his country after a nasty collision in Australia’s friendly defeat to Ecuador on Tuesday. I can’t believe he was allowed to carry on playing with a blood-soaked bandage round his head even if he was adamant he didn’t want to come off. The midfielder has since been diagnosed with concussion and will miss Hearts ’ trip to Kilmarnock this afternoon. That’s a blow for the Jambos. But on a far more serious note it was a blow to Devlin’s health.
If I was Hearts I'd be asking questions. They’ve now lost a player ahead of a huge game. But was there negligence on the part of his national team? It doesn’t look great bandaging him up and letting him play on. Listen, head knocks will happen. It’s about how those in charge react. We have a duty of care to look after players especially when you see the impact of what’s happened to generations before us simply from heading the ball. The fact it was a friendly match which Devlin took the knock and was allowed to play on makes it 100 times worse.
Normally if you feel a twinge in your hamstring or calf you come off in a friendly so to have blood pouring out a head wound should have made it an easy decision. The player shouldn’t have the power to make the decision any more. You still see those pictures of Terry Butcher playing for England against Sweden in 1989, head bandaged and strip painted red with blood.
Back then that’s what fans and managers wanted from their players - the hero who could take a bad knock but play on to help their team. Back then that’s what proved you were a man but we were all ignorant to the long-term health impact.
Science and understanding has come on so far since then. Gone are the days when the physio would just ask how many fingers he’s holding up.
There can be no grey area. It has to be a case of ‘under no circumstances are you going back onto that park’. You’d rather have an argument with a physio or doctor on a Monday saying ‘I shouldn’t have had to come off there’ than end up making a concussion worse by playing on.
I’ve mentioned before in this column that my memory is blown. My assistant at Glenafton, Mark Roberts, is exact same. There’ll be countless football players who later in life are affected. There’s no point risking making it worse by playing on when you take a blow to the head.
Fair play to Hearts - they’ve proved more than once this season they treat the issue of concussion with the utmost seriousness. Peter Haring is due back this week after spending almost six MONTHS out having been concussed against Aberdeen in October.
Haring had only come on as a sub but was whisked straight back off as soon as concussion was suspected. Stephen Kingsley and Andy Halliday have missed games for the same reason too.
That’s the way it has to be now. So it’s a massive blow not to have Cammy available for what is a massive game at Kilmarnock this afternoon.
Hearts need to go and get three points because Aberdeen and Hibs are on their coat tails. And a month back I could never have imagined saying that.
Only three wins in 15 away league games is poor and it’s an issue Robbie Neilson will be trying to fix. I saw them the last time at Kilmarnock and they were lucky to get a draw.
They tried to play out from the back but it was p***ing with rain, it was blowing a gale and Killie were in their faces. There’s a time and a place to play and another place to just go after it.
That might be what’s needed this afternoon. Even the top teams change it up when they need to just to make sure they win the game.
Between now and the end of the season Hearts need to do everything they can - whether it’s pretty or ugly - to make sure they win games and finish third. Anything less is a disaster.
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