Lewis Neilson grew up watching Mesut Ozil mesmerize English football on Match of the Day.
And the teenager admits Hearts drawing the former Arsenal star’s new club Istanbul Basaksehir is pure box office. But there’s no danger the Jambos stopper will be star-struck if he’s thrown in for a Euro debut against a side containing Premier League magic of the German midfielder and former Tottenham ace Nacer Chadli next week.
Not when the EPL is exactly where 19-year-old Neilson aims to be playing his football in the future. Neilson has heard all the comparisons with John Souttar since following the Scotland defender’s journey from Dundee United to Tynecastle. But the Tynecastle teenager insists he’s driven to follow his own path to the top after impressing in his first Hearts start in Sunday’s 3-2 win over St Johnstone. And with Craig Halkett having missed the last thee games through injury and Kye Rowles hobbling off with a foot injury on Sunday, the chances of Neilson making his Euro debut against the Turks are growing.
