Hearts striker John Sutton is eager to be given a regular opportunity to prove his worth having netted in the 2-2 SPL draw with Ross County.
Sutton has struggled to find the form he demonstrated at Motherwell since moving to Tynecastle in summer 2011, but came off the bench to net a stoppage-time equaliser on Saturday.
"I've never felt I've played badly - I just haven't really played," said Sutton, who had a spell on loan at Central Coast Mariners in Australia's A-League last season. "It's been different this year. I haven't started so many games recently, but certainly I've been getting on and getting plenty of minutes as a substitute.
"I don't feel I've regressed as a player. It's just a case of getting a run of games and hopefully over the course of the season I can look back and feel I've done well."
Hearts boss John McGlynn suggested Sutton could start in Wednesday's Scottish Communities League Cup quarter-final at Dundee United.
Sutton could come across a familiar opponent in Rudi Skacel, who left Hearts for a second time after the 5-1 Scottish Cup win in May and trained with the capital club before moving to Tannadice.
The prospect of a third spell at Tynecastle was ended when Hearts were placed under transfer embargo for failing to pay players' wages on schedule.
Sutton added: "We'll just have to keep it off his left foot anywhere within 30 yards. He was training with us and looked really fit and really sharp.
"I don't know how far he would've progressed with us because we got the transfer embargo.
"We'll have to be wary, but Dundee United are a good team without Rudi Skacel so they're going to be even more dangerous with him.
"I think they've been a little bit like ourselves this year - tipped to be challenging at the top end and it hasn't quite worked out, which makes the game on Wednesday even bigger for both of us."
On a day when Hearts asked supporters to invest in a share issue scheme while also revealing a tax dispute, the hosts dominated.
Arvydas Novikovas netted the opener and Hearts laid siege on the County goal, where Michael Fraser was in inspired form.
A disputed Richard Brittain penalty and a 77th-minute strike from Stuart Kettlewell appeared set to grant County all three points before Sutton's intervention.
County are ninth after the first round of fixtures and boss Derek Adams is pleased despite late dropped points at Tynecastle and against Celtic.
He said: "I couldn't be happier with the first 11 games. I'm delighted, but we probably should have more points than we have."
The Staggies have conceded 14 goals in five games after starting with a miserly defence.
"You're always going to concede goals," Adams said. "We have to be a wee bit adventurous at times."
