Being one of two players who worked under new Heart of Midlothian head coach Neil Critchley, Yan Dhanda has been pestered by his team mates for the inside scoop on the new boss.

The playmaker was part of Critchley’s youth sides at Liverpool where he also worked under new Hearts assistant Mike Garrity.

Critchley took the Liverpool under-18 and under-23 sides during Dhanda's time at Anfield where he also coached Jambos goalkeeper Ryan Fulton.

Dhanda joined the Reds as a 14-year-old and played under the new Hearts boss until he left aged 19 and the pair have remained in touch since. He goes as far as to call Critchley a mentor, such is the impact he has had on his career.

“I had him for pretty much the whole time I was at Liverpool and worked closely with him and Mick Garrity,” said Dhanda. “So I know him well, they know me well, they know my family, they know pretty much everything about me.

“So yes, he improved me massively the whole time I was there. He's someone who I have a lot of respect for. He helped me on and off the pitch, he helped me turn from a kid into a man. And he knows that. I've kept in touch with him. He knows what I think of him.

“I think it would be perfect for the club to have someone like him here who actually really cares about his players.”

Asked if he was the most influential mentor of his career so far, Dhanda replied: “Yes, definitely. Obviously, you have ups and downs in form and stuff, but he's someone who stood by me, believed in me. I played a lot of games under him, scored goals, and really enjoyed football under him.

“Tactically he really helped me, especially going from academy football to Swansea and into a men's game. I think he's someone who really helped me tactically with positioning and attacking positioning, defensive positioning, transition positioning.

“I was saying to the young lads here, he's someone you would want to be a gaffer because he really cares for young players and wants to improve everyone.

“Yeah, he's very hands-on. Obviously, he's a very good coach. I'm sure Liverpool brought him from Crewe so they've brought him in because they've identified how good he is as a coach.

"He's hands-on on the training pitch, he'll get involved and he speaks to people individually as well.

“If he feels he needs to tell you something or help you or give you praise, then he'll speak to you individually. He knows how to make you feel good, he knows how to improve players and I think that's massive.”

Yan Dhanda and Neil Critchley at Liverpool.Yan Dhanda and Neil Critchley at Liverpool. (Image: Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC) Critchley is joined at Tynecastle Park by his assistant Garrity who can be blunt, according to Dhanda.

He admires the dynamic the duo have and said the assistant will not just be a yes-man for the new boss.

“From what I remember, he's very opinionated. So if he thinks something, then he will tell the gaffer,” said Dhanda. “He's not just going to agree with everything the gaffer says. Mike's someone who will, if training's not good enough or if we're not playing well, he's not afraid to say.

“I know he's the assistant manager, but he will tell people what he thinks. He's brutally honest and the same with the gaffer.

"I think that they're good people, they care for everyone but they'll be brutally honest. If we're not performing, they'll tell us. If you want to question anything, then you'll get an honest answer, which I think is the best way, and as a player you want to hear.

“I think they complement each other well and obviously they've been together for many years now. So I feel like they've got a good relationship.”

Dhanda got his fourth start of the season last time out at Aberdeen, starting from the left. It was the role he played under Critchley at Liverpool. And he was able to provide an insight into how the team played back then.

“The whole time I played under him, we played 4-3-3," he said. "Very attacking football. I played off the left most of the time. Obviously, I can play on the left and right and 10, but predominantly with him I played on the left. 

“Very attacking, high-press, you have to have a lot of energy, you have to be willing to work hard, run forward, run back, not just the front players but the defence have to get forward, the forwards have to work back. It's a real collective in terms of on the pitch. Everyone has to defend, everyone has to attack and be involved.

“Training is tough, very tough. Like I said, you have to be fit to play in these teams, and during the week, you're training very hard.”

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Critchley sees versatility as part of Dhanda's quality.

"Yan's got the flexibility to play right across the front," he said. "He can play right, middle, or left. What he has got is great technical quality and a good football brain so you know if you can get him in the right areas of the pitch he can be a very dangerous player.

"But he's not the only one. We've got a few players in those positions. There's some competition for places and that's a good thing."

There are now three games in quick succession, starting with St Mirren at home in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday, following the international break . After that, Omonia Nicosia visit Gorgie in the Conference League before the first Edinburgh derby of the season at Easter Road. Dhanda will be hoping to add to his winner against Dinamo Minsk earlier this month.

"Everyone wants to be playing at home and then you've got a game Thursday night in Europe which is massive," said Dhanda. "Everyone wants to play in Europe, and then obviously the big game on Sunday where everyone in the changing room wants to be playing.

"It's a big week and I think that's why everyone's so focused with the new gaffer coming in because you want to be in the team. You want to be playing and everyone has a clean slate so everyone has a fair chance to be playing. But whoever scores, I don't think it really matters.

"I just think we need to get that first win in the league and push on from there. We're quite optimistic about tomorrow and hopefully tomorrow's the day we get that first win."