Peter Haring is not thinking of any club other than Hearts, despite talks over a contract extension dragging on.

Craig Levein wants to tie the Austrian down on a long-term deal at Tynecastle but nothing has been agreed since opening talks with Haring and his agent.

The 25-year-old signed a two-year deal when he joined Hearts from SV Ried last summer.

Haring said: "I talked to the gaffer a couple of weeks ago and he talked to my agent as well and now we've had a little break.

"I think we will talk to each other soon and then we will see.

Asked if he wanted to remain with the Edinburgh club, he said: "Yeah, I told [Levein] that I'm feeling very well here, that I'm happy to be here.

"I want to stay but there are always some little things to discuss and that's what we are doing.

"No [other club] is speaking to me directly. Of course I've got an agent who does that but I'm not really thinking of any other club at the moment.

"We are at a very important part of the season so I am not thinking about anything else than Hearts."

Levein plucked Haring from the second tier of Austria and originally signed him as a central defender.

But the former Rapid Vienna man quickly established himself as a midfield lynchpin for Hearts.

Looking ahead to a fortnight that sees the Gorgie men face Aberdeen and Hibernian at Tynecastle, Rangers at Ibrox and then a Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden, Haring admits the gamble to leave his homeland as paid off handsomely.

He said: "Last season I was in a really difficult moment in my career and Hearts helped me at a very difficult point for me.

"I couldn't have expected for everything to go so well but now I am even happier.

"I think to play here in Scotland is very attractive because you have lots of those big games with big crowds.

"Celtic, Rangers, Hibs, Aberdeen - and of course every game at Tynecastle is still a highlight for me."

Standing at six feet tall and cutting an imposing physical presence, Haring looks tailor-made to thrive in Scottish football.

But he admitted his first competitive matches - against Cove Rangers and Raith Rovers - were a huge wake-call to the style of football he was now playing.

Haring said: "I remember the first couple of games in the group stage of the League Cup.

"We played away and every goal kick their goalie made, I wanted to go for the header and their striker just bullied me the whole time.

"I was just looking at the ref and waiting for him to give me a foul and nothing happened.

"So I realised really quick that it is much more physical and that I have to just defend myself and win the headers no matter what.

"You have to learn these things and I think I got used to it pretty quickly."