CRISIS? What crisis? The narrative heading into today’s Edinburgh derby between Hibernian and Hearts at Easter Road is that a defeat could sound the death knell for either Paul Heckingbottom or his Tynecastle counterpart Craig Levein.

While the Leith side have won just one of their previous 10 Premiership matches, Hearts are without a victory in 12 and prop up the table.

Recent troubling times at Bolton for Josh Vela, however, have ensured the 25-year-old can keep perspective.

After all, he went five months without being paid as the club teetered on the brink of extinction, and had to reluctantly dip into his savings to support his young family.

“That’s the thing, this is just football, it’s not wages and stuff like that,” said Vela, pictured. “Not getting paid is pressure, and the lack of communication – when you come in and they tell you you’re getting paid on this day and then you go to the bank and it’s not there.

“That just dragged on and dragged on and I had just had a baby as well when we stopped getting paid and I was thinking ‘what the hell, I’ve got a baby to look after’.

“From January onwards was hard and we were down anyway but then when you are not getting paid it is hard to concentrate on football.”

Vela is now fully focused on football, and well aware of the level of expectation from the club’s supporters, some of who have called for Heckingbottom to step down.

“I don’t think it is a crisis game as such but it is a pressure game,” Vela said. “Every game is a pressure game and you want to win every game but this one has even more pressure because the fans really want us to win this one and we want to win to get our season going.

“They are entitled to shout. They pay their money and if they are not liking what they see, they can shout whatever they want at us. They are entitled to do that but, obviously, it doesn’t help.

“We just need to get on with it and block it out and concentrate of game.

“All fans are demanding but I reckon that in a city, with two big teams in it, they are even more demanding up here. But that is a good thing because it means they want us to win and to be better than the other side. That’s the main thing.”

Vela, one of seven recruits brought up from England during the summer, is relishing his first taste of the Edinburgh derby, especially since Bolton were a one-club town.

“I’ve played in a few derbies but I don’t think they are as big as this one,” he said. “There are a few at Bolton: Wigan, Blackburn, various ones. But none of them are as big as this one. It is not the same kind of rivalry, that’s why I don’t think they are as big.

“I watched a few because of my old manager Neil Lennon being here, and he was a feisty character on the sidelines so he was perfect for the derby.

“I thought it was the kind of game I would want to play in. The atmosphere looks good and tackles go flying in and it is a higher tempo game so it’s one we have to get stuck into.”

Amid the clamour of some fans calling for his head, Heckingbottom’s main focus has been on trying to mend his dysfunctional team.

Hibs have failed to keep a clean sheet in five outings, and not scored in their last two.

“When you talk about pressure, it’s a waste of time because for me it’s all about pushing the players,” said Heckingbottom.

“We got beat at Rangers heavily and some of the defending was poor.

“We started working on us in possession and felt we were strong without the ball but we wanted to add more to our game.

“When we did that, that coincided with being poor without the ball so we’ve had to switch back.

“We thought we were in a good place with the clean sheets at the start of the season, we need to get back to that.

“The style has been the same box to box, not being clinical at one end and soft at the other.”