There are already enough Hearts dressing room inquests in Season 2024–2025 to last for multiple campaigns. Having seen all of them, Cammy Devlin admits to being sick of the violence. The final moments of Thursday’s 1-0 victory over Motherwell were tense as goalie Craig Gordon made two crucial saves to save an equaliser from happening. After losing to Hibs and drawing 2-2 at Ross County to finish 2024 in disastrous manner, everyone involved was just thankful for three points.
Devlin played 90 minutes against Motherwell and Hibs despite being suspended and missing the Dingwall trip. A happier changing room at full time was a relief to the friendly Australian. Because you see the boys every single day, it’s awful, to be honest. When you want to win games and they turn into your brothers, everyone is content and everything feels wonderful,” Devlin remarked.
“It’s not good enough when things don’t go our way and we give up two goals in two minutes, like Ross County.” You have expectations of yourself, and there are expectations placed on you. If you win 2-0 or 2-1 in that game, and then we come to Tynecastle and win again, you begin to feel good and gain confidence. Some of our younger players have a tremendous amount of confidence that allows them to do things that you might not do if you were less confident.
However, you do become tired of it. The players and the coach would have gone crazy if we had drawn that Motherwell match. You don’t want to do it, so it’s awful. Anger is the last thing you want. I dislike being angry. Craig Gordon takes charge and performs his duties as usual. We are aware that we need to improve in both areas. When we have complete control of the game, we cannot afford to give away opportunities like that.
“In the first half, and maybe the first 20 to 30 minutes of the second half, we know we’ve got to score a couple more goals and then the game becomes a lot easier. We know we’ve got to do that but, nonetheless, we’ve started the new year with a win, so it’s positive.”
Devlin admitted he could only imagine what happened at full-time in Dingwall. “I wasn’t there, but I think I can speak on behalf of the boys,” he remarked. “Say we conceded on Sunday, we would have come in and gone mental. But I think at Ross County it would just have been confusion, like: ‘What the hell just happened?’ That would have been the feeling because I’m sure you were the same, watching on thinking: ‘What actually just happened?’
“I’m sure there were words and the gaffer obviously spoke to us and just told us once again it’s not okay. Over this Christmas period, you’ve just got games, games, games. You address it when we go back in on the Monday and then you talk about it. But then it’s: ‘Okay, in two or three days’ time, we’ve got New Year and then we’ve got Motherwell.
“It’s horrible because, to be honest you’re still going into the Motherwell game thinking: ‘I can’t believe it. How did that happen?’ You have moments where you think about it. I went to sleep that night thinking of that boy [Jordan White] tapping the ball in [for the equaliser]. I honestly couldn’t believe it but you’ve just got to turn it around and stand up. I feel like we did that on Sunday.”
The pressures of football were not always part of Devlin’s career plans. As a youngster, he preferred rugby and was only converted to soccer by a neighbour growing up in Australia. On Sunday, that childhood friend and a few of his other mates were at Tynecastle as part of a UK football trip.
“I had a few of my mates there. My neighbour growing up, he’s over here with his partner and their mates,” explained the midfielder. “They came to the game, and one of my good mates that I was playing with growing up and one of his mates who I’m also good mates with, they’re doing a trip around the UK in a van watching football games. So they came up to watch me play.
“My family ain’t here so having people that you’ve grown up with in the stands is really nice. I gave them a big hug and just seeing them was super-special. Hopefully they can come on Sunday and we can get another win [at Dundee United].
“My two mates that are doing the trip in the van, they were at Sunderland versus Sheffield United the other night. Then they came down to watch us. They were driving up for Liverpool playing Man United. They’ve been all over. It’s pretty cool. My neighbour when I was growing up, Jordy, he’s a big football fan. He’s been on a trip with his partner and they’ve been travelling around. For them to make the effort to come watch me play is super nice.
“He [Jordy] is actually the reason that I got into football. I was a rugby man growing up. My dad and my family are into rugby, as you probably can tell by the way I play,” laughed Devlin. “But Jordy was my neighbour and his dad, Rhys, they obviously turned me over to football. Having him come and see me – from where I was when I didn’t even play, and a big reason I am here is because of him. So, yeah, it’s super-cool.”
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