Robert Snodgrass' football education started with him kicking about the mean streets of the east end of Glasgow as a kid.
Now, as he enters the twilight of his career, the veteran’s ball-playing intelligence is a key part of a west side story - the west end of Edinburgh that is - as Hearts look to strengthen their grip as Scotland’s third force. Snodgrass is lighting up Gorgie after years of fine tuning his skills in the toughest school of all south of the border.
Better than that he’s now educating the younger members of Robbie Neilson’s team who might poke fun at his lack of pace but who would do well to tune in to his fast moving football brain. The Hearts ace admits he’s had to adapt his game as time has passed, from the free-roaming forward or winger at Leeds, Norwich, Hull, West Ham and for Scotland, he’s dropped deeper and deeper into the number six role he’s occupied his last couple of clubs including now at the Jam Tarts.
With that holding midfield job comes a responsibility to be brave on the ball and create openings. But it comes easily to the 35-year-old, not least because of that footballing brain cultivated as a kid playing on the streets back home in Glasgow.
Snodgrass said: “I’ll play anywhere. At Luton they played me as a No.6, at West Brom they played me as a No.6. I don't know where it came from. I was always a No.10 or a winger, it just came out of the blue Luton was slightly different, it was half in between. Nathan Jones played me as a No.10 in the play-offs and he said 'that was the best game you've played'.
“Because I'm a No.10, that's where I've always played! I’ve never relied on pace. I've never had any pace. The lads laugh every day, 'how have you played, you cannae run'.
“Your mind moves quicker. You do have to adapt. Those lads will get it all the way through their career as well.
“There will be certain times, certain circumstances, different clubs, you do need to adapt.
“I think that's the biggest word in football. Adapt. I've probably had to do that a lot throughout my career.”
His new role means Snodgrass sees a lot more of the ball than he did as a winger. Perfect for someone who loves nothing more than being in possession. That bravery to take control in any situation can help take Hearts to the next level.
And he said: “First and foremost, the lads need to trust you to deal with the ball in there. You can keep it for us, you can make things happen, you can find the next phase, you can get through the lines.
“I’ve always tried to have that coming from the streets. Give me the ball, I'll try and make something happen or give it into the danger zones for the attacking lads to go and do it.
“Hopefully they can trust me now. It just takes time. People speak about bravery and courage, I want to give them an option as much as I can to try and help. That's what football is made up of, options, angles, bravery, composure, taking the ball in tight areas, that's what the top players do at every single level and that's how they get out of tight spaces, how they create overloads, 4v2s, 4v3s.
“Try and get into that rhythm to trust yourselves in those pockets, in those zones. Once we get in there go and express yourself.
“It doesn't change for me whether I'm playing here or there, I've still got a role, a duty. First and foremost I need them to know they can trust me. If anything goes wrong I'll take responsibility.
“It's 11 v 11, you are going to have men on you, that's the whole point. If somebody moves on me or two move on me, find the next space.
“That's all the little bits I feel as if we're getting better at. We are starting to control games and starting to cause teams problems in the final third but it starts from the backline.”
Snodgrass might be dictating from the back now but he still popped up with the crucial equaliser against St Mirren on Saturday - his first goal for the Jambos. He’s more than happy to leave the burden of goalscoring duties to Lawrence Shankland though. And reckons the 18-goal striker can be even better with the responsibility of being made captain in Craig Gordon’s absence.
He said: “Shanky's a terrific lad, a winner, a leader. The lads respect him. You need to look to your No.9 for passion, desire, somebody who will put their body on the line for the team and that's exactly what Lawrence does. He's done a great job.”
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