Calum Elliot is talking about possible moves. Fortunately, after his cringe-inducing cavorting with a chum that made its way on to YouTube, the Hearts striker is referring to his desire for a summer transfer out of Tynecastle rather than his latest dance steps.

In truth, given the sense of sadness that permeates his every word and the forlorn look on his face, the 21-year-old comes across as a figure who needs cosseted rather than teased. Simply put, Elliot has fallen out of love with football.

Early promise that suggested Hearts had unearthed a striking gem has slowly dissipated among a flurry of yellow and red cards and a dearth of goals.

Since October, the striker has been sent off three times and scored only twice, a brace against Inverness Caledonian Thistle at the start of March. It is a record that has completely erased his self-confidence and fully tested the patience of the Hearts supporters during an inglorious season for the Edinburgh club. Substitute appearances have been met by mild derision or worse, poor touches jeered and heckled.

It does not take a psychologist to deduce that the player is trapped in the middle of a dizzying, vicious circle. Only by leaving the club he joined as a school-leaver does he feel that he can finally be set free.

"I'm not too sure where he will be next season, but I hope I get something sorted out as soon as possible," he said. "I've told them Hearts I need to get away and get a new challenge and a fresh start.

"I just want to start enjoying playing again and get back to playing the way I can do.

"It was extremely difficult to come to that decision, but sometimes you have got to think of your career first rather than what your heart says. I just feel I need to get away from the place and hopefully I will get a chance to do that in the summer."

International duty has provided a regular refuge from his domestic despair this season, but even that turned sour for him on Tuesday night when he was sent off in Scotland U21s' 4-1 defeat to Norway. It represented an abject ending to a traumatic season and it is little wonder that Elliot is glad to see the back of it.

"When I come away with Scotland it's been like a relief. It's a chance to show what you're capable of when you go away with Scotland. So it's disappointing when you get sent off. I felt that I let the manager Billy Stark and the team down.

"The summer break couldn't come quickly enough, to be honest."