Liam Fox feels Hearts fan pressure from afar as interim boss senses 'step forward' ahead of Minsk task

Liam Fox insists he can deliver on the Euro stage for Hearts after making the giant leap from Lowland League to Conference League in just 10 days.

The caretaker boss will be in charge as the Jambos - winless in 10 games this season - get their campaign off and running against Dinamo Minsk in neutral Azerbaijan on Thursday night. The game will be played behind closed doors due to UEFA’s sanctions on Belarussian clubs for their country’s involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war. And Fox has no doubt his players are good enough to deliver that elusive victory for the Jambos who have been locked out.

The 40-year-old was in charge of the Hearts B team in the Lowland League before stepping up as interim boss after Steven Naismith’s sacking ahead of Saturday’s draw with Ross County. And he said: “It's a fair jump. But as I've said, I'm just really enjoying this experience. It's a privilege to be here.

“We'll do everything we can to be ready for a tough opponent. But I've got belief in the group. We've seen on Saturday moments that we're hopefully taking a wee step. The players worked so hard to get to this opportunity, to get to this level, they had a brilliant season last year.

“We're going to enjoy this, but the best way of enjoying it is putting on a performance. You put on a performance, you get your best chance of taking three points. Are we going to miss the supporters? Absolutely. Because of what they bring in, the energy they bring in. They're a big, big miss to us, we're aware of that. It's a situation, and it's just another challenge for us to overcome.

“We're conscious that will be loads of Hearts supporters in pubs and homes, back at home. Like I say, we can never promise that we're going to win, but we'll do