Big Zal

Last night (October 31st) news filtered through during the Scottish Cup Semi final, between Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian, of the tragic early passing at the age of just 36, of former Hearts captain Marius Zaliukas.

It is for me always a reason, when hearing of the death of anyone with whom I felt a personal connection to, a cause to reflect on both my own mortality and also of my memories and experiences with the individual involved. I am at 38, of similar age to Marius and a father to a young family. As I’m sure was the case for many of my fellow Hearts fans, the intensity of the contrasting emotions experienced given the news and the game, led to a particularly poor nights sleep.

In the summer of 2006 Hearts played a friendly against the Spanish side Osasuna at Murrayfield on the 19th of July. If I recall the circumstances of the time correctly, the game was being played at the national rugby stadium as part of pre season preparations for the forthcoming Champions League campaign. The club had defeated Gretna on penalties that May to win the Scottish Cup, the raucous singing of Takis Fyssas, Champions League la la la and all that, was still ringing in our ears. Despite the departure of fans hero Rudi Skacel to Southampton, it had been a summer of energy and optimism, albeit some of that energy was perhaps of the nervous variety, as with Vlad at the wheel, Vlad being the clubs then owner, the wonderfully eccentric ‘Lithuanian tycoon’ Vladimir Romanov, you were never quite sure what was going to happen next. The expectation was that the squad would be significantly reinforced in order to challenge for further domestic honours and to compete in Europe.

That day was the first time I saw Marius play. He was listed on the substitutes bench as one of four new players from Lithuania, the others being Kancelskis, Ivaskevicius and Velicka. From what I can remember I think that all of whom were denoted as trialists. London Hearts tells me that the big fella took to the pitch as a replacement for then fans favourite, the French midfielder Julien Brellier, around the half hour mark. First impressions were not great. Out of his depth is the phrase that springs to mind as Marius, although clearly strong, tall and athletic, stumbled clumsily around in midfield, like a destitute man’s Patrick Viera, displaying no obvious footballing ability to suggest he would be able to advance the clubs then lofty ambitions. I think many of us at the game had no expectation of him being signed on a longer term basis, with perhaps many, including myself, assuming that it was perhaps a work experience type deal or reward for his endeavours with the other club in Vlad’s empire, FBK Kaunus. So it was something of a surprise when a short time later, it was confirmed that he was to be added to the first team squad for that season.

Those initial impressions were made oblivious to the fact that Marius was playing out of position, he would go on to distinguish himself in his more natural position of central defence, although the eccentricities of the time meant that in that first season in particular, he would go on to play many more games in central midfield. Seemingly one of Vlad’s tactical masterstrokes was to play a defender in midfield as evidenced by a subsequent home game that season against Dunfermline in which another central defender Ibrahim Tall toiled in the role whilst two natural central midfielders in Brellier and Aguiar, sat frustrated on the bench. As he settled in to the club, he did distinguish himself in some games that season, even in midfield, including a notable 3-1 away win at Pittodrie.

Some fans, myself included at the time, had a negative relationship with the clubs Lithuanian players borne out of a perception that they were being given opportunities ahead of supposedly more capable players based on their nationality. There was also suspicions that they may be moles in the dressing room to the clubs hierarchy, undermining the harmony and spirit in the dressing room, which was perhaps one of the main drivers for the infamous Riccarton 3 press conference as fronted by then club captain Steven Pressley. Even if this was the case, it was not these guys fault and does not excuse some of the regrettable behaviour at the time including the petty referring to some of these players by their squad number only on fans forums such as Jambos Kickback, as if to dehumanise them. In retrospect all of the ‘trialists’ on the bench that day versus Osasuna would go on to make positive contributions for the team. Zaliukas most of all, Velicka was a regular goalscorer for a couple of seasons, Ivaskevicius scored in notable wins over both Rangers and Celtic and Kancelskis in his brief time was always a competent deputy in defence.

Perhaps the biggest contribution made by Zal in that first season was a winning goal versus Hibs at Easter Road, the week after they had lifted the league cup at Hampden, the goal a right footed finish on the turn put a dampener on the planned post game parade, unforgettable scenes in the away at the end of the game included many fans refusing to leave and some even took their shoes off whilst joyously chanting “shoes off if you hate Hibees”. It was this game that the Daily Record journalist Keith Jackson in his match ratings the following Monday used the phrase ‘Faceless cast of thousands’ when grading the substitute appearance of Eggert Jonsson, Jackson’s turn of phrase was crass, but there was an element of truth in both the volume and frequency of player turnover at the time making it difficult for the fans to bond with the players, over the course of that season we had gone from having a team of recognisable big name Scottish football personalities like Pressley and Hartley, to the starting XI that day in Leith including not only Zal but three of his fellow countrymen.

2007/8 was a shambles all round, and very few players did themselves justice as the eccentricities of the owner and a bloated and rudderless squad badly under-performed, finishing bottom six in the league for the first time since the split was introduced. A sending off versus Dundee United for a flash of temper was the first of many sendings off that Marius would accrue during his time with the club. Given a regular run in his more natural position of central defence he began to show what he was truly capable of and was a solid if occasionally erratic presence at the back.

2007/8 also marked my last season as a season ticket holder, having continuously held one since 1996, for what would be six years. Personal circumstances combined with a dissatisfaction with the way the club was being run led me to not renewing at the time. Therefore although still a regular attender of Hearts games I missed many of the matches where Zal really began to prove his worth and win the affections of the Hearts support. But in many ways, despite the odd calamitous mistake or hot tempered sending off, including no less than four in season 2008/9 alone. Marius became one of the constants of the latter Romanov years. Forming effective partnerships with firstly Berra, then Karipidis in 2008/9, followed by Bouzid in 2009/10 and latterly Andy Webster before eventually leaving the club in 2013. He had become club captain in 2010 under the management of Jim Jefferies

He was there for the UEFA Cup games against Dinamo Zagreb, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool. He was there for the cup run in 2012, scoring a vital goal against St Johnstone in the quarter final and he was of course the captain on the day of the glorious 5-1 triumph over Hibs in the final. The look of sheer joy and passion on his face as he collected and posed with trophy was that of a man who genuinely loved the club. It couldn’t be further removed from the initial impression from 2006 of a mercenary shoehorned into the team based on his nationality and relationship with the owner. He was loved and respected by his teammates, who loved his colourful personality and good humour. He revelled in his contribution to 5-1 and in his last season with the club, made sure to rub it in to the Hibs fans during a match at Easter Road, gesturing to them in case they had forgotten the score.

When the news broke last night, it was with genuine emotion and collective sadness that we all reflected on the loss of one of the great characters from one of the most interesting and tumultuous periods in the clubs history. A man who overcame initial criticism and negative perceptions to become one of the most warmly regarded figures the club has ever had. It is tragic that he has lost his life at such a young age, leaving behind a young family. We can only hope that his family can take some comfort from the knowledge that Marius Zaliukas, is thought of by many thousands of people, as a hero.