I’m more than just a battering ram and I’m now ready to prove it, says Hearts striker Uche Ikpeazu

Uche Ikpeazu is a man on a mission.

Try to outrun him, and he’ll show you he’s faster.

Try to outfight him, and he’ll prove to you he’s stronger.

But try to tell the big man that physicality is all he has in his locker, and he’ll deliver a message just as powerful as any of his performances for Hearts.

Defenders who face him week-in, week-out don’t have any doubts about the keenly-stoked defiance that fuels his every move.

Now Ikpeazu wants the rest of the country to see him for the talent he is.

“Listen, there are some people in Scotland who don’t rate me,” says the Hearts hitman, who scored in last Sunday’s Edinburgh derby, and helped his side past Aberdeen into the BetFred Cup semi-finals in midweek.

“They don’t think I’m good. They think I’m just a battering ram.

“But you saw the quality out there against Aberdeen. And you are going to see more of it when I am fully fit.

“The best is yet to come. So all those opinions, I will just prove them wrong.

“That’s just my mentality. I’ve done it throughout my career and I will continue to do so.

“People have their own opinions. But I don’t listen to people.

“They talk about Hearts, say we are this and that. They talk about individuals in our team in a negative light.

“Listen, I respect everyone’s opinion, but I’ve said from the get-go that we have quality in this team.

“We will see in time.”

He may look indestructible, but Ikpeazu needed to be patched up more than once last season.

It was a hamstring complaint that caused him the most frustration, a symptom of his all-action, powerhouse style.

His frustration was Hearts’ too.

But after a summer of rehabilitation and a full pre-season in the tank, Ikpeazu feels he’s ready to ease into top gear – just in time for the Jam Tarts’ impending semi-final clash with Rangers.

“It was a tough, 120 minutes against Aberdeen, and I didn’t think I had it in me,” he said after the Jambos’ penalty shoot-out success in the quarter-final.

“I’ve scored at Hampden before, so I’ll be hoping to do that again against Rangers and help the team win.

“I feel good, and physically I feel ready to do some damage.

“We’re building a good cup record in terms of getting to the latter stages of competitions – but I want to win something.

“That was one of my main objectives when I came here.

“Missing out on the Scottish Cup last season makes me hungrier.

“I wasn’t fully fit. I had the hamstring problem and it wasn’t great. So I will be hoping to go there fully fit this time.”

Hearts have five weeks to prepare for their Hampden clash with the Gers.

They will hope to get there having continued the turnaround they have threatened over the last seven days.

Their wins over Hibs and Aberdeen lifted the mood around Tynecastle after a difficult start to the season.

Those successes granted gaffer Craig Levein – whose head fans had been calling for – a reprieve in the court of public opinion.

Now Ikpeazu wants to do his bit to ensure the pressure stays off.

“I’m transparent. I said last Sunday after the game that the gaffer has been great,” he said.

“I know it’s a results business, so he is going to get the criticism. But he can only pick the team.

“We haven’t done well enough for him, however I feel as if we are now. Long may it continue.”

Should it continue, Rangers would do well to take Hearts seriously at Hampden, not least because of Ikpeazu.

And if his performances weren’t enough to convince the Gers management of the danger he poses, his words should be enough to finish the job.

“I don’t fear any opposition,” he warned. “I’m feeling confident and I’m feeling fit. Let’s see what happens.

“This is the strongest I have felt since coming here. I just needed a run of games and I’ve had that now.

“I want to score goals, and assist goals in any way shape or form.

“I know that on my day I’m unplayable – and I will prove that in time.”