The hidden side of Steven Gerrard that Cammy Devlin channels as Hearts star reveals 'he's the reason I play football'

The Jambos star got into the game be eyeing the former Liverpool skipper and Rangers boss during his playing days.

Cammy Devlin now takes Italian inspiration from Marco Verratti after Steven Gerrard first got him into the game.

The Hearts ace constantly watches footage of football’s elite in a bid to improve himself. Devlin got into the game by eyeing ex-England skipper and Rangers boss Gerrard and says stars such as midfield magician Verratti also enthuse him.

He said: “My favourite player of all time, and he’s actually the reason that I started playing football, is Steven Gerrard. I’m nowhere near as good as he ever was but in terms of the way he played as a defensive player. I feel like the way he breaks up play and keeps the play ticking, he’s more got that forward play that I want to get so much better at in terms of he was scoring so many goals and creating so many chances.

“The defensive side of his game is something that I have prided myself on my whole career and I absolutely love watching him. And another player, he’s playing in Qatar now, but Marco Verratti was a player that I absolutely loved watching for Italy and PSG.

“Just the way he played the game as a midfielder, I absolutely loved. And he’s small as well. I love watching football. I’m always watching at home. My missus hates it but that’s how you get better. You watch the players that you want to get to the heights that they’re at.

“We’re fortunate enough to be in the national team set-up where you’re playing opposition at the World Cups and things like that where you get to see them live. I watch clips of myself or games back with the staff most weeks, to be honest, of things obviously I did well, but also the things like: What could you have done here? What could you have done here?

“You watch the Premier League and things like that and players in different positions. But, if you’re watching your own clips back from previous games, then I feel like that’s a big thing of how I want to improve.”

Devlin is determined to develop having last week signed a new contract which keeps him in Gorgie until 2026. Boss Steven Naismith also inspires as he said: “I can’t speak highly enough of him. We’ve had so many chats on the pitch, in his office, watched so many clips and I really appreciate it.

“And that’s some of the reason why I feel that respect to stay because he’s put so much time and effort into me and believes in me. That’s something that I really appreciate.

"I feel I’ve come a long way as a player. I was more one-dimensional in terms of I was a defensive midfielder. I kind of sat and that’s what I was doing in the A-League and that was my role, which I enjoyed and I feel like is a massive strength of mine.

“But, to become a better player and warrant a new deal at a massive club, you’ve got to be more than one thing and I feel like I’ve still got a massive way to go. I’m obviously not the young player that I was when I first signed, but you can always improve. You always want to take your game to the next level.

“I wear my heart on my sleeve and I go out onto the training pitch every single day to make myself a better player and make the team a better team. I feel like the environment that we have is really special, but you just want to make that special environment onto the pitch and give back to the people that come and watch us play. And all the hard work that you put in every single day, you want to make it count. “

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