Christophe Berra returns to Hearts

Wolves defender Christophe Berra returns to Hearts admitting his Tynecastle experience made him a man.

Despite his defection south of the border, the former Hearts skipper is one of the Jambos' favourite sons from recent years.

Edinburgh-born and homegrown, Berra, who won a Scottish Cup winner's medal in 2006, was the local boy made good who went on to captain the team he grew up with.

It was an accolade that made him the youngest captain in the Scottish Premier League at the time when he followed Sunderland-bound Craig Gordon with the armband.

During one of the most turbulent times in the club's history under the controversial Romanov regime, the reliable performances of the Scotland international were one of the few constants.

But it was the nature of the difficulties he experienced, which saw a young Berra virtually become a shop steward chasing wages and fighting for his team-mates' rights that galvanised this unassuming, level-headed defender into the more rounded individual he is today.

And he is quick to recognise the contribution the club in its adversity made to his development, rather than the other way around.

"I was captain there at a turbulent time at the club and there were lots of low points," said the 25-year-old, who is likely to lead Wolves for the first time tonight.

"But when I look back now, those things have made me a stronger person and a better player. You learn from those experiences and it toughens you up.

"As a footballer, you've got to be thick-skinned because not everyone's going to like you. Even if you have a good game, people will say you didn't but you just have to get on with it.

"Everyone has to deal with it and sometimes it's the players with the thicker skin and stronger characters that get to the top.

"Don't get me wrong, you have to have the skill to go with it, but all the things that test you along the way help further down the line."

Berra performed his role as Hearts captain with distinction and, for that, deserves a good reception tonight – even if he is taking nothing for granted.

"I was captain and I always gave my all and I think they recognised that," he said.

"I never stepped out of line or disrespected anyone and I always kept my head down.

"So hopefully I get a good reception and I'd like to think I might get a cheer, but you never know in football – fans can be fickle!"

Berra admits it will be a surreal experience to step out at Tynecastle from the away dressing room and not wearing maroon.

"I played there for seven years so going into the away team dressing room and walking out of that tunnel and not playing for Hearts will be strange," he said.

"But hopefully I'm playing and it will be an occasion to enjoy because I've got my family going as well.

"My whole family live in Edinburgh and they'll be there for the rest of their lives. But if you want to play at the highest level in football, you have to move.

"That was why I came to England and it's paid off."

Berra's roots then are clearly still in Edinburgh and he is still in touch with several team-mates.

"I still speak to a few of the players, especially the younger ones such as the left-back Lee Wallace, who's done well," he said. "There's a few other boys who I text now and then too.

"But the team is rebuilding and they've got a new manager, so it will be a different side to what I was used to."

Although the game is a friendly, Berra is certainly not expecting any preferential treatment – quite the opposite in fact.

"As a Premier League team, they'll probably raise their game against us so it will be tough," he said.

"That's natural – if you're a Scottish team playing an English Premier League side, you want to impress. So they'll be on the ball and we'll have to make sure we are as well.

"I'm sure if I do anything bad, I'll get caned for it from their boys!"

Berra will be doing his utmost to prevent that happening and believes Hearts fans will see a different player to the one that left for £2.3million in January 2009.

"I've improved – I'm bigger, stronger and faster than I was before," he said.

"Coming down here, I'm playing against the best players and playing with better players so that can only improve you.

"Playing centre-half, you get better with age and I'm improving as I get older."

And as much as he felt for Hearts, Berra remains convinced he needed to make the switch when he did.

"I'd been at Hearts for seven years and sometimes you need a new challenge," he said.

"I just needed to improve my game and take it to the next level.

"I believe I've done that."

By Tim Nash