Gorgie Aussies looking good

HEARTS' youth academy director John Murray today predicted a bright future at Tynecastle for recently-recruited Australian youth internationals Rocco Visconte and Ryan McGowan.

Visconte, 16, and 17-year-old McGowan arrived last month, expanding the Australian contingent at Riccarton to three with Matthew Park having joined the club last season.

Their status as burgeoning youth players for the Socceroos has prompted much enthusiasm amongst the Hearts coaching staff.

Centre-back McGowan graduated from the Australian Under-17s to play on the Under-20s' tour of South America last month, whilst winger Visconte is a regular fixture at under-17 level. Both players are graduates of the reputable Australian Institute of Sport and possess EU passports which will ease their registration process at Tynecastle.

Murray said: "They'll sign as amateurs at the moment but we will sign them up once the transfer window opens. They are over here now, away from their parents, so hopefully they settle quickly and do well. They have done well in the games they've played so far. Rocco has played a few under-17 games for us although Ryan's passport hasn't come through yet. Rocco can play wide left or wide right, and Ryan a centre-back. They were recommended to us and we got some footage of them in action before bringing them over here.

"The intention will be for them to sign for a year initially with the option of an extended contract after that. At the moment, we are just trying to process everything and get them signed up."

Visconte and McGowan were recommended to Hearts by their former defender Dave McPherson and his Australian associate Lou Sticca, the pair who negotiated Park's move to Edinburgh from Frankston Strikers. Park has shown the progress which can be attained as a Hearts academy graduate by making the first-team substitutes' bench for last month's UEFA Cup tie with Sparta Prague at Murrayfield, and Sticca has similar intentions for his latest proteges.

"Both lads are there to push their way into the SPL," he said. "Australian players are not so far away from home just to make up the numbers. They have good development work coming from the South Australian Institute of Sport in Adelaide, a place that is very highly regarded in terms of the players they produce.

"Rocco and Ryan are lovely lads with a very bright future in the game. Hearts have done well to get them as they were keenly sought after by a number of clubs. Both have EU passports so that makes their entry into UK football easy."

Taken from the Scotsman