Ellis Simms on his ultimate Hearts buzz as he bigs up unrivalled Jambos moment and his best stadium

Ellis Simms admits he still savours his Hearts highs as he gleefully relived THAT Hampden rocket against Hibs.

The former Everton striker - now plying his trade at Coventry City after a move that could reach £8million to replace the much-talked about Viktor Gyokeres - arrived at Tynecastle on a loan deal from the Toffees under Robbie Neilson and was quick to establish himself as a favourite among the Jambos support. In 21 appearances in all competitions he netted seven goals but he will always be remembered in Gorgie for one particular effort.

Let's rewind back to the Scottish Cup semi-final in 2022 between the Edinburgh rivals and as Barrie McKay laid the ball into the path of Simms from 25-yards out, he only had one thing on his mind as he smashed a thunderbolt beyond Matt Macey to send the maroon half of Hampden wild. Looking back at that moment, he explained: “Scoring in the Scottish League Cup semi-final at Hampden Park against Hibernian for Hearts was a great feeling. I knew about the massive rivalry, so to score a goal like that, in that occasion, was amazing and the atmosphere was electric. As a striker, you get a buzz from scoring any goal, regardless of the state of the game, but because it was a semi-final against Hibernian, and you could hear the roar of the crowd, it was a nice feeling and a great moment.”

He may not have known too much about the club when he first arrived, but by the time he left, it had left its mark. It was a first adventure away from home when he rocked up north of the border with his only real knowledge of the league coming in the form of Celtic and Rangers.

But it was an experience that has helped him push on at Everton and on loan at Sunderland before arriving at his current