Brentford full-back Aaron Hickey has looked back on his decision to choose a contract with Hearts over Celtic - insisting it was the "right decision" for his career.
The 20-year-old has went from strength to strength after leaving Tynecastle for a successful two years in Serie A with Bologna, which caught the eye of English Premier League side Brentford last summer. He has been a regular for Thomas Frank's side and has faced off against giants Manchester United and Arsenal - including the 4-0 rout of Erik ten Hag's side.
Hickey is also becoming a regular in Steve Clarke's Scotland side and made a key contribution coming off the bench in the 3-0 Nations League victory at Hampden. Now the defender has reflected on the decision as a teenager to turn down the Glasgow giants in favour of a move to the capital where Craig Levein gave him his first-team debut aged just 16.
He told the Brentford club website: “I started off at Hearts when I was really young – I would’ve been around ten when I joined and I stayed until I was 12. Then I went to Celtic because it was my boyhood club. I went there for a good four years.
“Celtic offered me a contract, but I wasn’t playing much. I thought there would be a better opportunity for me to play at Hearts.
“Being young, you have to play football. You have to make the right decisions."
However, the decision didn't convince his dad to change allegiances straight away. Hickey was handed his first start in Glasgow's east end - and the Scotland international admits his family could be spotted in the home end backing his boyhood club in reaction to the move to Gorgie.
He went on: "The manager (Craig Levein) thought I did okay against Aberdeen (on his debut), so he put me in for the Celtic game at Parkhead in front of 60,000.
“That was class – I loved every minute of it. It was a sell-out at their stadium. I remember getting cramp during the last half an hour!
“I had a few of my pals in the Hearts end and I think my dad was in the Celtic end!"
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