Jordan Roberts is determined to make his mark for Motherwell following his first start for the club.
The on-loan Hearts player produced an encouraging display in Motherwell’s front three during their goalless draw with St Mirren on Wednesday and hopes to follow that up against Hibernian at Easter Road.
“It was good to get a first start, I thought the lads were brilliant and unlucky not to get the win, but we will go on Saturday full of confidence,” the former Inverness player said.
“My last 90 minutes was the first game of the season for Hearts against Dundee.
“My aim is to finish the season strongly, try and contribute where I can and hopefully do well here and go into next season wherever I am.
“I am still in contract with Hearts in the summer but it’s about playing football and I will cross that bridge when I come to it.”
Roberts, who joined Hearts from Ipswich in August, added: “When you come into a new club you have to adapt as soon as possible because the manager will have his style of play and the lads will be used to how they are playing.
“For me it was about adapting as soon as possible and give the team something they might not have had or bring something that can help them push forward and move up in the league.
“Wherever I go I try to give my all for the club. I don’t want that feeling of looking back and wishing I had done more.
“Whenever you get the opportunity to move to a new place you have to make your mark and come with something fresh. It’s about giving your all, turning heads and leaving your mark.”
Manager Graham Alexander was pleased with Roberts’ contribution as Motherwell steadied the ship following two heavy defeats.
“He has had to be patient but he has constantly worked in training and always been ready to play,” Alexander said.
“I felt after last week we had to make some changes. We were delighted with the players who came in but also the response of the players who played previously.
“Jordan, considering he hadn’t played a lot of football recently, worked extremely hard and gave us a different approach. He was good, he fitted in straight away, he knew exactly what we wanted to do and looked like he had been in the team for a while.”
Alexander believes he will still be without 14 players at Easter Road with Declan Gallagher set to sit out another game because of his hamstring injury.
“Declan Gallagher is back out on the training pitch, which is good,” he said.
“We are assessing him every day because we don’t want to take unnecessary risks with such an important player.
“We are slowly getting lads tentatively back out on the grass but because of the injury situation this whole year, we have to be very careful bringing people back in and making sure when they come back in, they stay in.”
