Levein calls an end to Hearts' January sales

Hearts manager Craig Levein is so comfortable with the strength of his squad after the winter break that he is finished in the January transfer market.

Czech striker David Vanecek and on-loan Leeds centre-back Conor Shaughnessy have arrived at Tynecastle while John Souttar could return from a hip injury in Sunday's William Hill Scottish Cup fourth-round tie against Livingston.

Injuries to Souttar and fellow Scotland internationals Steven Naismith and Christophe Berra, along with a foot problem for Uche Ikpeazu, derailed Hearts' lightning start to the season.

But with Ikpeazu and Peter Haring due to be back from surgery inside three weeks and Hearts recalling the likes of Ryan Edwards, Bobby Burns, Malaury Martin and Aidan Keena from loan spells, Levein is confident his squad will not be so stretched in the coming months.

Levein said: "In general I'm feeling pretty good about the squad for the second half of the season.

"The outs are always a little bit out of our control but when everyone is fit I think we have a very strong squad.

"The problem is we have missed a lot of important players, and it's pleasing for me that everyone is coming back and there will be real competition for places.

"A wise man once said, and it wasn't me, that you are better looking at it than looking for it. We are better having too many than not enough.

"I felt at times in the first half of the season because of the injuries, and two or three happened in the same position, particularly the striking area, I didn't want to leave us in a position where that might be a possibility in the second half of the season.

"We would need to be hugely unlucky to get ourselves in a position where we suffered in the same way as we did at the tail end of the first half of the season.''

Levein has already noticed a difference from his bigger squad.

"We have had two or three really good days' training,'' he said. It's no coincidence that once you start getting people back, players look round and say 'wait a minute, there's more competition than previously'.

"And me cajoling people or having team talks that get people wound up, that stuff becomes a non-event, because they just look round at the competition and realise they have to up their games themselves. It makes my life a hell of a lot easier, and I'm all for that.''

Meanwhile, defender Michael Smith has extended his contract until the summer of 2021.

The Northern Ireland international told Hearts TV: "It was an easy decision to make.

"As a player, I'm very happy here. I've been playing most weeks and playing well and I feel comfortable here. As a family as well, you know, we feel very settled in Edinburgh.

"The first time I ever came up here it took me by surprise how big the club was. Ever since then I've really enjoyed playing in front of these fans week in, week out. You also have the stadium and the training facilities, it's second to none really.'