McGlynn hints young Hearts stars may be loaned out

HEARTS assistant coach John McGlynn has revealed that several of the club's top young stars may have to go out on loan next season to be assured of first-team football.

Vladimir Romanov has helped assemble one of the largest first-team squads in the country and, as a result, competition for places has intensified markedly over the last 12 months.

But, rather than sit on the bench or continue in the youth set-up, McGlynn admitted that it would benefit certain players if they were loaned out to other clubs.

He said: "We will be looking to loan out some players for them to gain experience at first-team level," McGlynn said when asked about the possibility.

"We also have to make sure that we don't put them out on loan and then find ourselves in the position that we need them because they are our best young players.

"Whenever we play an SPL game we have to have three of these young players in our squad. Christophe Berra, Jose Goncalves, Lee Wallace and Calum Elliot all satisfy this ruling at the moment and maybe some of the guys that are signed might too.

"Andrew Driver and Jamie Mole are other guys who would satisfy the ruling but also need first-team experience.

"We have to marry up giving them first-team football but making sure having them out on loan isn't to the detriment of Heart of Midlothian football club.

"Calum Elliot had a tremendous season last term - although there are a lot more players this season who's to say he won't have another tremendous season?"

McGlynn conceded that, with Hearts enjoying their most successful season in decades, players will be left disappointed if they are sent out on loan. However, he believes that in the long run it could be the perfect chance for them to prove their worth to the club, pointing out that both Craig Gordon and Robbie Neilson were farmed out as youngsters before establishing themselves in the first team.

He added: "What we need is to have players on the bench that can come onto the pitch and do something and aren't there simply to make up the numbers. It's a difficult one.

"When you have as big a squad as we do with as much quality you need to strike a balance. Ideally, all these young players would be playing in the first team every week but that isn't going to happen.

"That's where going out on loan is good but we need to make sure they go to a club where they are playing every week.

"We've loaned players out in the past and the likes of Robbie Neilson went to Queen of the South and Craig Gordon went to Cowdenbeath and they were highly successful.

"However, we've also had experiences where it hasn't worked like when Neil Janczyk went to Alloa, so it's all about picking the right decision for each player."

Meanwhile, Carlisle United are believed to be interested in signing Chris Hackett as they plot their League One campaign. The midfielder has made just one start and one substitute appearance since signing for Hearts from Oxford United in January.

Taken from the Scotsman