Jambo heroes join youngsters to find the next generation of stars

DESPITE their reputable youth academy producing almost half a first team since 2000, Hearts' appetite for rearing youngsters is not sated.

Next week, the Edinburgh club again host the Make Your Move coaching camp during the schools' October holiday as they remain pro-active in the search for fresh local talent.

Current first-team squad members such as Robbie Neilson, Craig Gordon, Christophe Berra, Lee Wallace, Andrew Driver and Jamie Mole are all graduates of the successful youth development programme, which is headed by academy director John Murray.

Yet the initial steps towards an eventual career in the Hearts first team can be taken at just five, the earliest age at which youngsters can enrol in the camp. Those involved next week will receive top-quality coaching on ball mastery, passing and receiving, moves, one-on-one, finishing and games.

The youngsters will also participate in a World Cup tournament on the final day of the five-day camp, which is open to both boys and girls between the ages of five and 12.

Czech striker Michal Pospisil and Portuguese defender Jose Goncalves recognise the need for the club to continue producing their own players, and after spending time with the youths at Riccarton their minds were cast back to the days when they were the star-struck youngsters.

"It's very important at Hearts that we can build our own talent," said Goncalves. "I saw the kids' enjoyment at having two first-team players come to watch them train. When I was small I was so happy to see the big players coming to our training. My idol was Paolo Maldini and I always wanted to see him, although I never got the chance.

"We know at Hearts that good young players will get their chance in the reserves early. That is not always possible at other clubs."

Pospisil recalled his days as a player in the junior ranks at Sparta Prague in his homeland, saying: "Sparta do very good work with their juniors and have a good coaching staff in place for this.

"If we won a tournament our reward was to have the captain or someone come to train with us. I remember Jiri Novotny at Sparta coming to speak with the boys when I was little, and he was an international star at the time. That sort of thing is good motivation for the young players and it stuck in my memory.

"For every club it is important to work with the young players. I am delighted that the kids here have some good pitches to work on and they can have good, quality training sessions.

"I sometimes come to the academy to watch the young boys. It's nice to see them play without any stress or pressure like us. It also helps the boys to see us and see how professionals behave."

Both Pospisil and Goncalves have undergone rehabilitation programmes of late as the attempt to make their way back into the Hearts first team after lengthy injuries. The Czech has endured the frustration of a niggling dead leg since August whilst the Portuguese has had surgery on both his hip and toes since last season.

Both are now nearing the fitness levels that will see them gently reintroduced to the side by head coach Valdas Ivanauskas over the coming weeks, although Pospisil admits his frustration has grown by the day as he awaits the all-clear from physio Andy Caldwell.

The forward said: "Every day I have been pestering Andy, asking what is wrong and how long it will be before I am fit.

"I want to know all the information about any injury I get but especially one that is going to take a long time to heal. It's really boring for me to ask the same questions and get the same answers so I hope to be fully fit soon.

"I have been doing full training and had a little reaction over the weekend, when we were doing some very hard training.

"I will rest for a couple of days and then start to push again. I am almost fit but still not 100 per cent.

"I expect it will take hard work and good quality to get me back in the starting 11. In football if you are out injured you go to the back of the queue. For me it's vital to be fit first, then I can work hard to fight my way into the team."

Taken from the Scotsman