Hearts midfielder Don Cowie signs one-year contract extension

Don Cowie joined Hearts after leaving Wigan Athletic

Hearts midfielder Don Cowie has signed a one-year contract extension, tying him to the Edinburgh club until the summer of 2019.

The 34-year-old moved to Tynecastle in January 2016 and has made 57 appearances, scoring four goals.

Cowie played for Ross County and Inverness before spells at Watford, Cardiff City and Wigan Athletic.

"It's a great feeling that the club feel the need to extend my contract," said the Scotland international.

The Hearts vice-captain admitted that 2017 had been "a tough time" but one that he had enjoyed.

"I've loved it, loved every minute," he said. "I've played a lot of football and that was the reason I came to the club.

"At my age you just take it as it goes, try and play as much as you can and see what happens.

"But the fact the club wanted to reward me with a new contract and extend it, it's a real boost for me, a compliment that they feel at this stage of my career.

"And I can only thank them and say how grateful I am to Ann Budge and Craig Levein.

"We are going through a transitional period at the club and once they decide what they want to do we will look forward.

Don Cowie has played almost 60 times for Hearts since joining from Wigan in January last year

"We need to be challenging in those top four places, we need to be getting to the latter stages of cups and hopefully in that time we can qualify for Europe or win a cup final.

"That's why I came to the club, that's what enticed me to come here and I want to sample that."

Cowie has scored four goals for the Edinburgh side, including one this season against Dunfermline Athletic.

He says the players are "comfortable" with Jon Daly being in interim charge of the first team following the sacking of head coach Ian Cathro.

"I think we responded really well last week and we got a great win (1-0, away to Kilmarnock)," said Cowie, capped 10 times by Scotland.

"And who knows, if we go to Rangers on Saturday and get another win I'm sure Jon comes to the forefront of people's minds.

"The boys have really responded to him. They respect him. There's a real edge to training all of a sudden.

"There's been loads of names linked with the job in the media, lots of big names, and that doesn't surprise me because it's a great job to get."

"But we're more than happy working with Jon right now and if that was to go on any longer we will give him everything we can."