Zander Clark pinpoints key Hearts problem as goalkeeper relishing break from club duty with Scotland

Zander Clark admits flying out to Cyprus with his Scotland mates is the perfect tonic for eradicating domestic struggles with Hearts.

The goalkeeper cut a frustrated figure on Sunday as the Jambos left the field to a chorus of boos from their own fans after slumping to a fourth straight defeat with a 1-0 loss to Motherwell. Clark insists travelling for European games can’t be used an excuse for the lethargy that’s seeped into the Tynecastle side on their return to Premiership duty - especially now Hearts have been dumped out of the Conference League.

There’s no rest for the 31-year-old and Hearts skipper Lawrence Shankland over the two-week break anyway as they gear up for international duty. And with the feelgood factor back in the Scotland camp and qualification for Euro 2024 in sight, Clark admits its the ideal way to get over his club’s troubles even if he’s still waiting for his first cap.

He said: “Going away with the national team is a great honour and we’re doing well at the minute. It’s something to look forward to but I would rather be going away off the back of winning.

“Once you’re there, it’s focussing on being part of the set-up and it’s a massive game coming up. We’ve put ourselves in a great place, the boys have been excellent the past few camps and to give ourselves that opportunity to go and do that is massive.

“It’s a great group of boys. The whole country is buzzing for Scotland games to come around now, there is that feel good factor.

“It’s like being away with your mates, it’s a tight knit group and everyone gets along well and there’s real quality in the ranks which can only be positive for us a nation going forward.

“When we go away, when you go into a game of football you want to win it, we’ve