Macaulay Tait tells Hearts boss Derek McInnes he's ready to roar after showing his teeth for Livingston
The Jambos youngster made the most of his loan spell in West Lothian and is determined to come back with a bang
Macaulay Tait has told Derek McInnes he's ready to fight for a place in his new look Hearts side after coming of age at Livingston.
The Jambos kid is heading back to Tynecastle for pre-season after a superb six month loan stint with the Lions – where he helped fire David Martindale's men to promotion to the Premiership after lifting the Challenge Cup.
The 19-year-old was a smash hit in West Lothian and he's convinced the spell can boost his chances of being part of the new manager's plans.
Tait said: 'Coming here has been brilliant for me, it's been a great experience.
'I've won promotion and won a cup final, so it's been amazing and I've loved it.
'I feel a much better player now, I feel like a more Scottish midfielder able to deal with the physicality of the game.
'That was one of the big things I had to improve in my game and I feel I'm much better on the ball now.
'The last five months have been massive for my development and I'll go back to Hearts looking to challenge for a place there.
'Obviously we have a new manager so I'll have to show him I can provide something for the team.
'I'm looking forward to it. Derek McInnes ' record speaks for itself given what he's achieved at other clubs so it's exciting times there.
'I will enjoy this for a few days, have a few weeks off and then get back into it for pre-season there.'
Tait is still on a high after Livi's dramatic play-off success – with Martindale's heroes coming from two down to triumph over Ross County in the second leg showdown in Dingwall.
He said: 'We made it hard for ourselves but we always had the belief.
'That's what happens when you've been playing well all season.
'We did well last Thursday and after going 2-0 down in Dingwall we really turned up.
'It's fine margins in the Premiership, County punished us for two slack moments but we were able to show our quality after that.
'There's a really good squad here, I hope the gaffer is able to keep it together because they can make an impact.'\
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