After moving to Hearts on loan, Dexter Lembikisa feels revitalised and renewed. After four matches in Edinburgh, the youthful defender is flourishing and feels free to attack. Wolverhampton Wanderers, his parent club, are monitoring his progress and collecting notes.
Lembikisa was on loan at Rotherham United for the first half of the season, playing mostly on the bench in 27 games. Oftentimes, games for this bottom-dwelling English Championship team were firefighting drills with most of the action being defence against stronger opponents. After moving to Tynecastle last month, the player felt more liberated.
Lembikisa is a Jamaican internationalist who is accustomed to a dash of flare or flamboyance. He enjoys swaggering forward from right-back and is cunning and near enough to put opposition full-backs on edge. Being one of Scotland’s larger clubs, Hearts are expected to attack most of their opponents, which fits well with their most recent defensive addition.
There’s a lot of attacking, a lot of ball play, and a lot of competition, which I find enjoyable. Playing in these kinds of games is undoubtedly beneficial for me,” Lembikisa stated in an exclusive interview with the Edinburgh News. “My favourite thing to do here is play with the ball. I didn’t play much ball with my last loan. A team is less prone to play and take chances when they are in a difficult situation.
We can try to play and take more chances here at Hearts, and I like it. The fact that head coach Steven Naismith allows us to play and hold the ball is beneficial to my growth. Everything else is the same. You are fighting and contending. You need to master the fundamentals before you can perform the fancy stuff with the ball. I’m improving and growing as a ball player.”
Steve Davis, the Wolves pathways manager, is in charge of keeping an eye on all of the club’s young players in the English Premier League. Lembikisa said, “I’ve talked to the loan staff a few times, but not too much.” “I believe they want to give me some time to settle in and learn what the gaffer needs from me. Of course, Hearts is a major Scottish team looking to compete. That’s what we’re doing. This club appeals to me.
“I realised right away that Tynecastle was a tough place to play after the first game. That seems positive to me. It helps you do your best and keeps you alert. When things are tough, the fans are always there to support us. They can raise us back to a respectable level. Of course, it depends on the players. It can assist players gain momentum, for example. It is beneficial to have that support when you are playing.”
For Lembikisa in Scotland, three starts, one goal, and one substitute appearance add up to a strong start. He is anticipated to start for Hearts against St Johnstone on Wednesday in the Premiership. Following an open match on Saturday against Dundee, which the visitors won 3-2, he is convinced that attack is the way forward.
“We know that, if we just keep on attacking, keep going and keep probing, then we are going to get goals,” the player added. That has been evident in a few of our recent contests. Although we didn’t start off the greatest, we know that we must persevere and the desired results will eventually materialise.
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