Toby Sibbick has opened up on hearing the fans chant his name and the confidence boost that has given in as he labelled Kye Rowles 'outstanding'.
The Hearts star has made a vast improvement to his game in the past few months with Robbie Neilson putting faith in him at the heart of his defence with the likes of Craig Halkett, Stephen Kingsley and Rowles - until the last match at Rangers - on the sidelines. The former Barnsley man was outstanding in the home win over RFS in the Europa Conference League and he's continued to carry that level with the supporters showing their appreciation after a tough spell in the capital.
He once again performed well in the backline alongside World Cup bound Australia star Rowles against Rangers. The summer recruit made his long-awaited return to action ahead of the Socceroos' Qatar adventure and will be a key player in the second half of the campaign as Hearts push for third spot once again and a return to Europe next term.
READ MORE: Robbie Neilson in Rangers time-wasting claim with Hearts boss unhappy with three minutes injury time
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Sibbick told Edinburgh Evening News: "I’ve got confidence and I just want to keep going. Wednesday was Kye’s first game back and he was outstanding. We just had to keep talking to each other throughout the game and try to shut Rangers out.
"The only goal came from one lapse in concentration from us. It was the only real chance Rangers created and they scored from it. That’s disappointing, although I thought we gave them a good game.”
He continued: “When you hear the fans sing your name, it does give you that confidence and belief within yourself. You take more and more confidence from it each time.
"When times are tough, I think every player needs that sort of confidence lift. You know within yourself that sometimes you’re not playing how you should be playing. It’s down to you whether you can rediscover that confidence.
"I had taken time out of the team and now I’m back in. I feel I’m doing well and I’ve got confidence so I just want to keep it going.”
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