GARY Locke could be proud of his record in Edinburgh derbies as Hearts manager even if he had enjoyed the luxury of being in charge at Tynecastle during a period of off-field stability.

Yet, to win four, draw one and lose just two of the seven matches in which he was involved on the touchline was remarkable, given the circumstances.

Being defeated just once in five meetings with Hibernian in the 2013/14 campaign – after being docked 15 points for going into administration and banned from signing players – was particularly impressive given that relegation was a certainty and Hearts’ very existence was under threat.

Despite the bitter blow of his side’s relegation and his sacking Locke can hold his head high when it comes to the games which mattered the most to supporters, with only one loss as manager (he was coach with John McGlynn in charge in the other defeat) when Hibs edged a league clash 2-1 at Easter Road in January 2014.

Current incumbent Craig Levein would be happy to emulate his success. “Yeah, we had a pretty good record,” said Locke as he looked ahead to the enticing encounter between the capital clubs this evening. “ I was actually disappointed with the one we lost too. They were awarded a penalty near the end. At the time, I felt it was soft.

“It was a really young side. At the start of the season Billy [Brown, his assistant] and I knew it was going to be difficult even without the 15 point deduction.

“We looked at the squad we had and just knew we would be fighting relegation. We had six or seven lads who had never even played a first-team game.

“As a Hearts man, I immediately looked at the first Hibs game on the fixture list and feared the worst. I knew how hurtful a bad result could be for the fans.

“Fortunately, it worked out alright. To win four of them was fantastic.”

The last time Hearts took on Hibernian in a top-flight match at Tynecastle – back in March 2014 – they faced the unthinkable prospect of being consigned to relegation to the Championship by their city rivals.

An early goal from Dale Carrick and a last-minute strike from Billy King, though, meant they won 2-0 and avoided having their noses rubbed in it by their city rivals’ fans.

Locke recalls how he used the predicament they found themselves in to inspire another rousing performance.

“Being a local lad, I was well aware of everything that was going on,” he said. “But I tried to use that to my advantage a little bit. I didn’t have to fire the players up too much before the game.

“The motivation not to lose was provided by the Hibs supporters.”

Locke moved on after Edinburgh businesswoman and lifelong supporter Ann Budge assumed control.

But he bears no grudges about how his tenure as manager panned out and no one could be happier to witness the club’s resurgence.

Now back at Hearts and working as an “ambassador” – a role which sees him performing a variety of different guises behind the scenes – he enjoys his current involvement far more than his previous spell.

“Coming in every day now is a joy for me,” he said. “I was here in the darkest hour. I’ll never forget the night I got told we were going to go under. It was horrible, something I never want to experience again.

“When you come back and see the place now, see the changes that have been made, see how Ann is running the place, it is nothing short of incredible. Hopefully, now, we can go from strength to strength.”

It is not just off the park where Hearts matters have improved considerably. The team have experienced better form under his old team mate and manager Craig Levein in recent weeks and go into the game tomorrow on the back of a seven game undefeated run. There are high hopes they can end their eight match winless run against Hibs tonight.

Locke also enjoyed more successes than failures in the Edinburgh derby after breaking through at Hearts back in the early 1990s. He sees parallels between the side which he played in and the current team due to the mixture of hungry youngsters and experienced older players who are involved.

“We had that when I got in the side,” he said. “We had Allan Johnston, Paul Ritchie, Kevin Thomas and myself in the team, but we also had Gary Mackay, John Robertson and Dave McPherson. You have to get the balance right. “

Harry Cochrane, the 16-year-old midfielder who is suspended this evening after getting red carded in the 0-0 draw with St. Johnstone on Saturday, has caught the eye, not least in the 4-0 win over Celtic earlier this month when he scored the opening goal.

Locke, a ball-winning midfielder in his playing days, is an admirer, but he has been just as impressed with the versatile Jamie Brandon.

“I try and get up to the academy once a week if I possibly can to see the boys,” he said. “I was well aware Harry was a good player. Jamie is another one who has done well. He has kind of flown under the radar, but he has played a lot of games and has been fantastic. He has played in different positions too, right back and left back. It looks like we have unearthed a cracking player there as well. It bodes well for the future.”

Locke, though, feels the importance of Christophe Berra, the Scotland internationalist who was made Hearts captain after returning to Tynecastle for a second spell in the summer, and Don Cowie, the experienced midfielder who has come back from an extended spell on the sidelines, shouldn’t be underestimated.

“You need boys like that in the dressing room,” he said. “The two of them will be highly influential, especially with the younger players in the squad. I have been there myself. As an experienced player you have to look after the young lads coming through, protect them, keep their feet on the ground.”

Locke is hopeful having Levein, a wily veteran of numerous Edinburgh derbies, can help Hearts record their first win over Hibs in over three years tonight.

“It has hurt seeing Hibs get the upper hand in the last couple of years,” he said. “But everything is there to be changed again. We can certainly take encouragement from the last three games that we have had. The boys are playing with a lot of confidence.

Locke went on to manage Kilmarnock, Raith Rovers and latterly Cowdenbeath, who he helped avoid relegation from the senior leagues with a play-off win over East Kilbride at the end of last season, and admits a part of him still hankers after a return to coaching.

“I am not going to lie, I miss being involved,” he said. “ I would consider any offer. But at least I have a job with a bit of stability. After Cowdenbeath and Raith Rovers I was fed up being in a job and then being out of a job. But I will certainly be there on Wednesday night. Home or away, I am there every week my man.”