The picture is a beautiful sight for Heart of Midlothian fans.

Yan Dhanda is beaming in delight. Overcome with emotion, leaping into the arms of Lawrence Shankland. In the background, second-half substitute Macaulay Tait is every Hearts fan, a smile as wide as the Caspian Sea, arms outstretched. Buzzing. 

The wait for the first win of the season had extended to 10 games. It extended into October. But now that wait has been ended. And in quite memorable fashion. Last minute, away from home, in Europe. And it was Dhanda who delivered. A player fans have been calling for, demanding even, to be in the starting XI. His stoppage-time header got the team's Conference League campaign off to the ideal start with a 2-1 win over Dinamo Minsk in Azerbaijan.

(Image: Malcolm Mackenzie/Hearts FC/ProSports/Shutterstock) Liam Fox admitted it has been difficult with the competition in the squad but praised "the feeling and the togetherness in the group".

For Dhanda, he just wanted an opportunity to make an impression. And he just knew he would. Well, that’s what he told Stephen Kingsley. 

“When I knew I was coming on I just wanted to make an impact like I always do and just found myself in the right position in the box," he said.

“I was quite surprised. Shanks got his head on it because it was a tough ball to deal with and it fell to me and I just kind of knew where I was in the box and just thought if I get a flick on it it might go in. And it did.

“So yeah, I'm buzzing.”

He added: “I had a feeling I was going to score, to be honest. I said to Stephen Kingsley on the bench, I said I feel like I'm going to score.

“I was just dying to score my first goal for Hearts and I got my first assist at the weekend and I've got my first goal now. I'm very happy and I feel like everything's going to start looking up now.”

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Few would have had Dhanda opening his account with his head. Least of all the 25-year-old. He revealed afterward that it was the first header he had ever scored. 

"I think no one really expects me to score a header but I've wanted to score more goals or even be in the box. I've got that and a header as well," he said.

“Now I'm happy. I just want to keep contributing, assisting, and scoring goals and I know when I'm on the pitch I'm capable of doing that."

It was a header that ensured there were thousands of happy Hearts fans back home. Including his Hearts-mad uncle Stuart Cook and grandad Tom. The uncle was not allowed to watch it at Dhanda’s home with the player’s girlfriend, however. 

“He's not on my back”, Dhanda said of his uncle's passion for the club. “When Hearts lose he just… he's a Hearts fan but now he's buzzing, he's probably already texted me. I've got no data at the moment so I haven't seen anything.

“I think my girlfriend watched it in her house on her own because my little one was asleep and my uncle was probably at his home watching it because he's not allowed round mine! He'll wake my little one up screaming at the TV! 

“Everyone was just at their house and obviously my dad texted me. He'll be watching it in Birmingham with my mum. He texted me earlier saying when you get on, just go for it and obviously it's happened.”

It’s a moment that left Dhanda “super happy”. While nothing will take away from the goal, the player and team mates would have liked to have celebrated the moment with a travelling support.

“Yeah, that was definitely missing," he admitted. "It would have been nice to have our fans celebrating when I scored but at the same time, I've scored my first goal in Europe, my first game in Europe and my first header.

"Now I just take the positives and I want to just keep building from here."

The hope is that building continues on Sunday at Pittodrie, both personally and collectively.

The sold-out away end in the Granite City will be eager to see Dhanda's name in the starting XI, giving him just his fourth start since his switch to Tynecastle Park.

He can make the case of two goal contributions in the last two games as being worthy of a place in what could be Liam Fox's final match in charge as interim boss.

“I'm someone who wants to play," Dhanda said. "I ain't going to hide that. I'm desperate to play and obviously I was gutted when I didn't play on Thursday [from the start].

"But I just have to channel it in the right way and I knew when I was on the bench that I'd have a good chance of coming on and when I knew I was coming on I had a feeling I was going to score. 

“I can only control what I can control but I'm buzzing to get on and score."

He added: "Hearts are used to winning games, especially last season, so it has been a difficult start to the season. But the talent we have in that change room I'm sure will turn it around and I think Thursday and Sunday is a step in the right direction. 

“We have to build on it now. The league is just as important and we need to start climbing that table. We have to look to Sunday now."