HEARTS new arrival John Souttar has revealed Robbie Neilson’s commitment to young talent convinced him that Tynecastle was the perfect place to kick-start his career.
The 19-year-old defender completed a six-figure move from Dundee United on Monday night with just minutes of the transfer window remaining.
After seeing his progress stall at Tannadice, Souttar, who could make his debut in Sunday’s Edinburgh derby against Hibernian in the Scottish Cup, is determined to recapture his form in the capital.
With the likes of Callum Paterson, Sam Nicholson and Jamie Walker thriving in Gorgie, he has no doubt head coach Neilson is the right man to help him realise his potential.
Souttar said: “It has been a tough couple of years for me and some things have gone on, but this is a massive opportunity.
“I’ve spoken to the gaffer [Neilson] and this is a real chance for me to develop. I know he loves putting young players in the first-team and I want to be a part of that.
“These are exciting times at this club and it is great to be a part of it. There is a real buzz about the place and every is telling me how good it is here.
“People want to achieve things here; want to win trophies. Hopefully I can perform well and improve. The facilities here are second to none, with the new training ground being built.”
Souttar, who was an unused substitute for United against Airdrie in the Scottish Cup fourth round, is eligible to make his debut in the cup clash.
There was initial doubt regarding his availability, with director of football Craig Levein telling one supporter on Twitter that the Scotland under-21 international would be unable to feature.
However, the Scottish Football Association confirmed yesterday that Souttar is not cup-tied. The official rules state that only players who have featured “as one of the 11 first-named players or as a fielded substitute” in a previous round are unable to turn out for another club in that season’s competition.
Souttar, meanwhile, revealed former Hearts player Ryan McGowan, who also left United this month, helped persuade him to make the move to Tynecastle.
Souttar said: “Gowser told me how unbelievable the atmosphere is and I can’t wait to get started. The atmosphere is special and I expect it will be easier to be in the Hearts team than it was coming here as a United player.”
Souttar’s arrival capped a dramatic deadline day at Hearts, with Morgaro Gomis and Danny Swanson leaving the club and Don Cowie and Abiola Dauda arriving.
Dauda, a loan capture from Dutch side Vitesse until the end of the season, is also keen to get the nod for the Hibs tie.
The Nigerian striker said: “I’ve heard a lot of talk about it. It’s a big derby for the fans and you always have to respect these games for the fans, because this is what they live for.
“I’ve played in a derby before, so I know how it is and what it means to the supporters. I will work hard in training, to try to push myself and to get to know the players, and we will see what happens on Sunday.
“I want to feel the joy of playing football again and I’m here to use this opportunity to get back on track because I haven’t played enough games for a while.”
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