Calem Nieuwenhof: Hearts adjustment and consistency aim

Calem Nieuwenhof spoke to the press after his involvement in Heart of Midlothian's comeback 3-2 win over Dundee. The Australian midfielder scored the team's first goal to begin the turnaround.

He spoke about his first goal for the club and the team's character, gave an assessment on his first six months at Tynecastle Park and explained why he won't be putting himself forward to take over penalty duties from Lawrence Shankland.

READ MORE: Hearts 3-2 Dundee: Subs impact, encouraging second-half change, high xG

What was it like to play in that game?

It was unbelievable. It was probably the best game I’ve been involved in since I’ve been here. We knew the first half wasn’t good enough and we went into the dressing room at halftime with nothing to lose. I think we went out there with the right attitude. From the start, we wanted to attack and get in their faces.  We were fortunate with a couple of the goals that went in and I was obviously stoked with my goal. The second half could not have gone any better.

How good was it to score your first Hearts goal?

I’ve been slowly working my way up the field and getting involved in more chances. I was just really happy to get the space to have a crack and I was glad it went in. It was a good time to get the goal and it gave us plenty of time to push on again. It gave the boys a lot of confidence and ultimately ended up getting the win from there.

What does it say about the character in this side?

It says a lot about the character. This squad has a great mentality. Going in at halftime two goals down is a tough spot to be in, especially in front of your home crowd. But the way we reacted showed the character we have in the squad. We stayed positive and on the front foot. Full credit to everyone involved.

How have you found your first six months here?

Very different to Australia. It’s a very challenging environment, obviously, the football is a super different style. So many players come over here and struggle. I’ve been really happy with Naisy, he has shown a lot of faith in me. I am just trying to get more consistency, putting in performances that can help us win games and stay in third.

What's it like coming from Australia and playing games like that with the weather?

It’s a bit new for me and it takes a bit of getting used to. It was tough out there. It’s hard to play football in that wind and rain, especially against a team like Dundee, who wanted to put us under pressure and not make it much of a football match. The first half from us wasn’t good enough and we all knew that. But coming into the changing room we didn't have any option so we just had but we had to put our best foot forward, go out from the get-go and straight on the attack and we responded really well given we were 2-0 down.

Do you feel the momentum is building within the group?

The momentum is building and it shows on the ladder (league table). We are sitting third and we are trying to put a big gap between us and the rest of the pack. These results are important for us. If we keep picking up wins in these important matches it’s going to be huge for us.

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How much confidence does it give you for Saturday?

It’s massive. We are in a really good spot at the moment and we have gone quite a few games unbeaten now and we are finding good form and gelling as a team. It will be tough on Saturday against Aberdeen but we are looking forward to it. It is another really important game where if we can get another win, it puts an even bigger gap between and the rest of the pack.

You talked about your first six months, what is your target over the next six months?

Consistency. Just building into my game. Coming from Australia to Scotland, there are a lot of adjustments you have to make because it’s such a physical league, a lot quicker. The six months I've been here, I have slowly adapted and now I want to kick on, keep putting in solid performances and help our team push up the league table.

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How is Lawrence after his penalty miss?

He’s fine. I don’t think anything will take him off spot kicks, to be honest. He’s such a strong character. It won’t faze him at all. In the last couple of game when he missed penalties, he ended up scoring anyway. He’s a great character and leader in this team. We know what he can do for us. It’s up to us to give him good service.

Is it luck or a distraction with the transfer talk?

No. I don’t think so. It’s just the way it goes sometimes with penalties.  Would I offer to take them? Nah, penalties are too close for me – I prefer long-distance shots!