Source: FOOTYMAD
Barring injuries, Darren hope to be involved in the remaining games
While personal targets are all well and good, it is the target for the team which has precedence Darren Barr hopes to be able to help Hearts secure third place this weekend before proving his ability in the final weeks of the season. He joined from Falkirk last summer but has endured a campaign riddled by injury and recently underwent hernia surgery. He is now fully focused on regaining full fitness and claiming a regular place in the first team. Ahead of Saturday's trip to Kilmarnock, Barr said: "I had to get a hernia operation and it's been recurring over the last few weeks so I've been getting injections to see if it settles down. I need to try and get myself back in the swing of things and hopefully kick on from there." Ten of Barr's appearances this season came before the end of October and he has made one appearance since, in December when Hearts beat Motherwell. He added: "Personally it's been a bit frustrating more than anything. I felt I did okay. I went out of the side and the boys went on a good run. I got back in and got a wee injury. There's a lot of good players here and it makes me determined to get in the side and show what I can do. I need to be confident in my own ability. You want to play more than anything at this stage of your career. I just want to play. Hopefully I can do that over the last few weeks of the season." An away win over Kilmarnock on Saturday and a defeat for fourth-placed Dundee United at Celtic on Sunday would see Hearts have a 10-point lead in the race for third place with three games remaining. Such a scenario should help Barr's cause for more playing time. Despite only one win in eight games - five of which ended in draws - Barr insists Hearts are close to returning to winning ways. He added: "We've not been playing badly. It's about trying to get the wins to get over the line. It doesn't matter what the other teams do, it's about what we do. If we get the win on Saturday that could be it."
