Garang Kuol's Hearts stint isn't currently going to plan. The Australian sensation, 18, has made just one league start since moving north of the border in January and has only enjoyed a handful of cameo appearances.
Focus among Newcastle supporters has, naturally, turned to whether the temporary move to the Scottish side was wise or not. Shola Ameobi, Newcastle's loan coordinator, played a big part in Kuol's first UK loan move.
But on the face of it, Newcastle were right to send to the teenager to Hearts. Fellow Australian senior players such as Celtic's Aaron Mooy, St Mirren's Keanu Baccus and Dundee United's Aziz Behich all ply their trade in the division, while three of Kuol's national team-mates - Nathaniel Atkinson, Kye Rowles and Cammy Devlin - play for the Jam Tarts.
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Manager Robbie Nielson has undeniably used Kuol sparingly in recent months but has spoken of his plan for the youngster. "He is a young kid so there are certain games he will start and others when he will come on. It's about development for both of them," he said last month.
Australia boss Graham Arnold has now got involved, this week urging Kuol to 'hang in there' for the final weeks of the season. "He’s gone to a league that’s a physical competition, the way Scottish football is played. It’s going to be a learning process for the kid as well," Arnold said.
"For Garang, it’s about hanging in there and working hard and having that strong mentality. But this is what a national team camp can do for a young player who is going through a bit of a negative experience at their club - playing for their nation, there’s nothing more proud for him than that.”
Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth has terrific experience with finding suitable loan deals for emerging talent. At Brighton, the club chief oversaw a host of temporary deals for players not totally ready for life in the first team at the AMEX Stadium.
Ashworth has always subscribed to the notion that young players need to be nurtured. At Brighton, Jan Paul van Hecke, Michal Karbownik and Jakub Moder are just three youngsters that were brought in but immediately loaned out to aid their development. First-team stopper Robert Sanchez was also shipped out to Rochdale before becoming an integral part on the south coast setup.
Ashworth even explained his thinking behind sending young players to Scotland to gain experience playing the likes of Celtic and Rangers. "The SPFL is a good league. There are some good games," he told the Athletic when at Brighton.
"It doesn’t have the same strength in depth as the Premier League, of course, but if you’re giving a young player an opportunity to play against Celtic or Rangers in front of 50,000, that’s an unbelievable experience."
With the benefit of hindsight, a different location may have been chosen for Kuol. But Ashworth and his team are certainly putting thought into where they send Newcastle's next generation of talent.
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