James Wilson's amusing Hearts-Hibs debrief: His mentors, bizarre hand tale plus snubbing EPL advances

His 86th-minute strike earned Hearts a 1-1 draw against capital rivals Hibs, latching on to a loose ball in the penalty box and firing it home via the post. “James Wilson, he’s one of our own,” sang 3500 adoring Jambos behind the goal at Easter Road.

There is a lovely image of 41-year-old goalkeeper Craig Gordon - a former Balerno pupil - congratulating Wilson, just 17, on his big moment. The teenage striker wasn’t born the last time Gordon tasted defeat in the Edinburgh derby - which was back in 2006. The Scotland stopper had the gangly forward to thank for preserving his record.

One of Wilson’s first tasks on Monday was to hand in a piece of homework. “I've got a PE assignment I need to get completed,” Wilson smiled in the aftermath of netting against Hibs. “So, yeah, I'll be looking forward to that. I need to get that done, actually. Maybe not the best idea [to patch it].” Could the assignment be done on the goal? “No, sadly not,” was the response. “I wish I could.”

Unless Wilson’s teacher is a Hibbie, such a piece of work would get full marks. Though one suspects the man he is trying to impress the most is his Hearts manager Neil Critchley, who has integrated the academy graduate into the first-team squad. Wilson netted his first Hearts goal as a sub in the 4-0 win over St Mirren - Critchley’s first match - before repaying the manager’s faith yet again in Leith.

“The manager just tells me to keep going, keep working hard,” explained Wilson. “He wants me to just have an impact on the game when I come on. He was happy last week with the goal, and then the same message again, come on and try and get an equaliser. I've done that. As a young player, you're never quite sure when a new manager comes in, but yeah, he's been very good to me.”

Wilson could quite easily be at another club. During the summer he was linked with both Celtic and Rangers plus clubs in England, including Manchester United and Leeds United, but opted to remain in Edinburgh. 

“Ultimately the reason I stayed was because I wanted to play first-team football,” said Wilson. “It's a choice that not a lot of people make. I'm just hoping to prove there is the other option here where you stay, you fight for your place, and you try and have an impact.

“Ultimately, if I went down south, I don't know where I'd be at the moment. I could be playing under-18 football down there, so I'm just trying to prove there's another option.

He is out of contract in the summer, although there is already talk of a new deal. “Yeah, I hope to,” he replied on prolonging his spell at Hearts. “I hope to keep playing well. It's just whatever happens, happens. I'm just working hard every day, trying to do what I can do.”

Wilson is thriving from the advice being passed down by senior players, including Liam Boyce and Lawrence Shankland. They are giving him pointers in training and the teenager is being a sponge, absorbing it all in.

“Boycie is really good to me,” continued Wilson. “Shanks is really good to me. These guys in my position are the ones that I'll have daily chats with on the pitch. But I want to learn off them as much as I can. These guys have been doing it for ten-plus years. I'm just trying to learn as much as I can.

Shankland, his captain, gave Wilson a big hug after he netted the leveller. “He was buzzing for me,” said Wilson. “When we're on the training pitch, it's not such a formal sort of thing, but just quietly, if he's watching me, he'll give me a little pointer. Both him and Boycie are very good for it. They'll just tell me what they think and that's the situation and what they would do. So, yeah, they are good for it.”

Wilson ends a remarkably mature interview for 17-year-old with a self-confessed tale on why his hand has tape all over it. “It was in an 18s game and I fell to the floor and had the ball at my feet,” he laughed. “I've tried to turn, and I've stood on my own hand. So it's not the brightest thing, is it?”

He saved the intelligent moment for the Edinburgh derby. Nobody in maroon is complaining, that’s for sure.