Heart's new boy Michael Ngoo reckons his performances will get even better now he's familiar with new team-mates

30 Jan 2013 00:01
By Gary Ralston

THE Liverpool loan striker is on a mission to succeed in football and reckons with the support of the Hearts fans he can achieve his goal.
Michael Ngoo is happy at Hearts Michael Ngoo is happy at Hearts
Jeff Holmes/SNS Group

MICHAEL Ngoo is the Hammer of the Hearts who reckons he will get even better now he knows his team-mates’ names.

The Liverpool loan striker has made it his mission to succeed in football after being freed by childhood heroes West Ham as a teenager.

He is already a Tynecastle hero after scoring the equaliser and then slotting home a penalty in the League Cup semi-final shootout win against Inverness at Easter Road.

As debuts go it could not have gone much better, even if Ngoo admits he didn’t know if it was Kevin Webster or Andy Webster in the centre of his own defence.

The 20-year-old has spent the past few days familiarising himself with his new pals after joining on Friday until the end of the season – and can’t wait to meet up with the Hearts fans again tonight when they take on Dundee at Gorgie.

Ngoo said: “I enjoyed Saturday and since then I’ve been enjoying myself getting to know the boys. Right now I know most of their names but it was difficult at the weekend.

“We got on pretty well, though. Obviously the runs I was making helped – and I’m not shy in asking for the ball. It’s all part of adapting.”

Ngoo knows the wisdom of that philosophy after he was released from the famed West Ham Academy as a kid – a tough blow as he comes from Walthamstow in the east end of London and the Hammers have always been his team.

He moved to Southend and impressed so much he was snapped up by Liverpool in 2009 for £250,000.

Ngoo added: “It didn’t work out at West Ham. I adored them as a kid so it was tough to leave, although it was still a great grounding.

“I’m still buzzing from Saturday. My confidence is high and I’ll be taking that into the Dundee match. I want the games to come thick and fast – Saturday was incredible.

“The fans were unbelievable, out of this world, amazing. You couldn’t ask for anything more as a player.

“My biggest game before Inverness was my first England Under-19 game, against Slovakia at Crewe. We won 2-0 in front of a big crowd – I scored on my debut then as well.

“I’d never even visited Scotland before I joined Hearts. I’ve been here four or five days and I’m in a final already. Not bad.

“There were options to go on loan to clubs in England but I spoke to Danny Wilson and that helped. More than that, though, having watched the boys at Anfield in the Europa League earlier this season I saw how they worked for one another. That made it a no-brainer to come here.”

Michael Ngoo celebrates after Hearts’ win over Inverness
Jeff Holmes/SNS Group

Jambos boss John McGlynn admits he is still struggling to take in the scale of his side’s achievement, two months after they were staring into the financial abyss.

However, Hearts have toiled in the SPL and McGlynn is putting off thoughts of the League Cup Final against St Mirren to focus on a top-six slot. He said: “That game on March 17 is a million miles away so the league is our priority.

“We haven’t found our flow in the SPL but if we can’t take a boost from reaching the Final, when can we?

“However, we also know Dundee will be fighting for their lives and won’t want to be cast any further adrift at the foot of the table.”

McGlynn also confirmed Danny Grainger has been told there is no place for him at Tynecastle right now, but that could change.

He said: “Danny is out of contract at the end of the season and wanted to know what was happening.

“We are cutting back financially and, at the moment, we’re not in a position to give him an answer so we’ve told him he’s within his rights to find another club.”

Taken from the Daily Record