DEL SWEPT ME AWAY

Leonard is loving being McInnes’ new broom

- BY CRAIG SWAN

MARC LEONARD seized a chance to be part of Derek McInnes’ new broom at Hearts having once swept the floors at Tynecastle.

The former academy kid is back in Gorgie on a loan deal from Birmingham eight years after he left to join Brighton.

Leonard's grounding at the capital club certainly helped as he was thrust into the tumultuous top-of-the-table clash with Celtic for his debut at the weekend.

The 24-year-old midfielder had been playing a role at the Blues during their English Championship campaign this term, but a call from McInnes changed everything.

Leonard said: “It was huge. I had spoken to a few other clubs and, at the time, nothing really made me want to get out.

“As soon as I spoke to the manager, it was chalk and cheese compared to other conversations I had. I knew straight away that was the manager I wanted to play for.

“I spoke to him during the week before the deal came through and he instilled a lot of trust in me straight away.

“You cannot ask much more from a manager than to put that trust in you and throw you straight in.

“He just said go and play your own game, get on the ball. And I tried to do that.”

As injured Cammy Devlin and suspended Beni Baningime watched on, Leonard slotted into a central role against the champions.