© EuroFootball.com
Despite even eleven players supplementing the Edinburgh club in January, Lithuanian national team defender Mikoliunas remains in the Scottish capital team and will try to compete for a place in the main lineup - the Lithuanian's loan contract with "Kaunas" has been extended until the end of the season.
A year ago, the 21-year-old S. Mikoliunas arrived at "Hearts" and started his career abroad excellently, but his first season in the team was overshadowed by two red cards in the match against Glasgow "Rangers", which led him to miss six games.
At the beginning of this season, S. Mikoliunas did not establish himself in the main lineup of the team coached by George Burley, and he only returned to the main eleven after Graham Rix took over as the head coach of the club. However, the performances of the defender were not very successful, and with the arrival of Mirsad Beslija and Chris Hackett playing in the same position, doubts arose about the Lithuanian's future at the club.
S. Mikoliunas was loaned from "Hearts" to "Kaunas" until February, and the club was not in a hurry to extend this contract, but eventually it was done, and the Lithuanian joined eight other players who signed a new contract together with the Edinburgh team on the last day of January.
"We are delighted that Mika (nickname of S. Mikoliunas - ed. note) will stay in the team until the end of the season. He knows that with the reinforcements during the winter transfer window, now he faces tough competition, but he is an enthusiastic guy, and we are confident that he will fight for his place in the team until the end.", - said one of the assistant coaches of "Hearts", John McGlynn - "This can only benefit "Hearts". He has shown the right attitude in training, and it is good to work with him because he is still a young player who is still learning."
