Nathaniel Atkinson was a cup final hero Down Under and he’s already told his fellow Jambos he could be a Hampden lucky charm.
The Hearts wingback stole the show in his homeland when he scored and picked up the man of the match award in Melbourne City’s 3-1 A-League Grand Final win against Sydney last June.
The 22-year-old is out for a repeat in the Scottish Cup Final when the Gorgie men square up with Rangers in three weeks – and cap an incredible 12 months for the kid.
Atkinson was struggling for injury in the build up to the Aussie showpiece but returned to make a major impression.
He kicked on to compete in the Olympics for Oz and earn his first call up to the senior Socceroos.
Atkinson is keeping the dream going having sealed his switch to Scotland and he’s dreaming of securing his place in Hearts Hampden folklore.
He said: “I’ve had a joke with a few of the boys that I’m known for scoring in the Grand Final.
“It would be nice to score a goal, but the main thing is getting the win.
“Anything is possible and it would be a bit of a cherry on top to score a goal.
“But we have to get there first and see what happens.
“If you were to have said to me 18 months ago I would be here right now I would probably have laughed at you.
“But football moves quickly and everything happens for a reason.
“If you work hard, you get performances and you get these types of opportunities.
“I’m nothing but grateful and blessed at the moment.”
Atkinson’s focus is on the Jambos but he admitted the thrilling end to the season could be a major boost to his international hopes with World Cup play-offs on the horizon.
The wide man admitted this year has left his head spinning but he’s determined to keep the good times coming.
Atkinson said: “The call up was surreal. It was a long time coming and it was a proud moment, not just for me but my family, who made a lot of sacrifices as well.
“We are in a bit of a tough time with the Socceroos at the moment, having to go through qualifiers and not going through automatically.
“But for me personally it was an amazing feeling. I got my debut in the last camp and that has made me nothing but more hungry.
“The best way to put your foot forward with the national team is to perform with your club.
“And with big games coming up against the Old Firm and the cup final as well it will put me in a good position to get on the plane to the two crucial qualifiers.”
Atkinson wants to become a Hearts legend – and help fire back at Socceroos pal and former Hibbee Martin Boyle.
He said: “He had few crude words to say about Hearts, obviously! Nah, Boyley was one of the guys who really brought me in and made me feel at home. He’s a good guy and it was good to have him around.
“It could have gone the other way round and he could have completely pied me off, but he didn’t.”
It might be tougher for Boyle if Hearts lift the cup but Atkinson is just thinking about maintaining his top form and being in the side.
The youngster had a tough start to life in Scotland with illness but he’s been flying in recent weeks and has vowed there is more to come.
Atkinson is out to build Cup Final momentum against Ross County today and he said: “My fitness is good. It's probably getting up to its peak at the moment. I was a bit unlucky with getting sick a couple of times. When I first got here I had Covid and then when I got back from the national team I had the flu for a couple of weeks, so I couldn't really get over that.
“The fitness is peaking coming into some crucial games, including obviously the final, so yeah, I couldn't be happier at the moment.”
