School janitor none the wiser, but teen Wilson shining bright for Hearts

Although this season has been a struggle for Hearts, the breakthrough of 17-year-old striker James Wilson has been a real bright spot - something to provide hope for the club's supporters.

His ascension to a starting role has coincided with an upturn in Hearts fortunes on the pitch, a much-needed injection of energy in forward areas given the well-documented struggles of Scotland international Lawrence Shankland.

Wilson has started six of the last seven league games, scoring two goals - both in the draw against Ross County - and Hearts have taken 13 points from an available 21 in that time.

He is averaging a league goal every 145 minutes and with four goals from eight shots has a conversion rate of 50% - impressive numbers for a player so young and raw.

Having netted five in 14 appearances in all competitions, Wilson - who last month signed a contract extension to summer 2026 - is Hearts' joint top scorer this season with Blair Spittal, who has played almost three times as many minutes as the teenager.

Perhaps Wilson's most notable strike came at Easter Road in October when he earned Hearts a point against Edinburgh rivals Hibs, and the youngster's sudden rise was hammered home the next day when he went into school.

"The funniest moment was I went in the day after the derby, and I saw a janitor," Wilson told Sky Sports. "He asked me if I watched the game and I was like 'I scored in it'. The whole day he was just staring at me like I'm some weird guy.

"The feeling, the adrenaline going through you when you score that goal is crazy."

Wilson praised head coach Neil Critchley for backing him to succeed, and revealed a lofty target for the years to come.

"You have to give the credit to Neil Critchley giving me the opportunity to play," Wilson added.

"I'd love to play for Scotland - that's the future, that's what we're trying to work towards."