Robbie Neilson has outlined where exactly Kye Rowles will fit into his Hearts team.
The Australian international is set to meet his new Tynecastle teammates this week after being given extra time off following his starring role in Australia reaching the World Cup finals. Both he and compatriot Nathaniel Atkinson sat out the Jambos' week-long summer training camp in Spain last week.
But the Hearts squad will get to see what Neilson already has on Thursday when the Socceroos return. Due diligence has been done on Rowles with reports from Down Under all being positive ahead of his switch to Scotland and persuaded Neilson and sporting director Joe Savage to hand him a three-year deal.
“We are delighted to get him first and foremost,” said Neilson. “We watched a lot of Kye and spoke to a lot of people in Australia about him. The feedback was all good. He is playing in the national team now and going to a World Cup.
“He is a really good defender in one-against-one situations, very composed on the ball with good athleticism. He gives us real balance being a left-sided centre-half so I think he will do well for us.
“We had Stephen Kingsley playing that position and he will continue to be there so it’s good competition for places. We have a squad that enables us to rotate people in and out.
“Andy Halliday can play left-back if needed and Alex Cochrane played a lot of games there last season. With the way we play, we needed a left-sided player in there so we are pleased to get Kye.”
As well as Rowles and Atkinson, Neilson hopes Cammy Devlin can join them in the Socceroos squad in Qatar. The combative midfielder was in contention for a first senior call-up last season, but a hamstring injury in March put that on the back burner.
If the trio are included in Graham Arnold’s squad for the finals, then the Jambos are due pocket almost £500,000. FIFA’s compensation scheme would see the capital club compensated for having their players away, regardless of whether they play or not.
“All three of our Australian players will be desperate to try and get in that squad,” Neilson told the Edinburgh Evening News. "Rowles and Atkinson are already in and will want to maintain that but Cammy is desperate to get a place as well.
“That gives them a carrot to work really hard and play well for us to try and make it to Qatar. Playing European football raises your stock because it’s big games. For us, it’s brilliant to have guys who could be going to a World Cup.”
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