Kids come of age at Hearts

Last season Hearts' youth academy graduates sampled first-team football arguably before they were sufficiently mature enough. This year, if pre-season is any kind of yardstick with which to measure progress, they look ready.

David Templeton, Arvydas Novikovas, Ryan McGowan and Craig Thomson emerged as central characters during last week's two-match trip to England. Their performances, goals and assists were catalysts in two come-from-behind victories over Gillingham and Millwall following Templeton's mesmerising display against Dunfermline earlier that week.

Now they face two rather more stringent examinations of their top-level credentials. Similarly vital contributions against Wolverhampton Wanderers this evening and Blackburn Rovers on Saturday will tee the youngsters up for the SPL opening day against St Johnstone on Saturday week. They know the stakes are higher than ever before.

Csaba Laszlo consistently bemoaned the lack of experience available to him during his Tynecastle tenure, and 12 months ago he certainly had a valid argument. Thomson apart, few of the youth products were developed enough to become first-team mainstays, principally because they were far too young.

However, the fixtures in southern England suggested that is about to change as the Hearts Under-19 team of two years ago begins to come of age.

"We might not have the amount of league games like Michael Stewart or Jose Goncalves, who were big names at our club and have left.

"But there has to be a point where times change," said McGowan.

"There have to be young ones coming in. I'm just excited to be part of the younger team breaking through.

"We all know what it means to play for Hearts because we've all come through the youth system. We'll make sure we give it a right good go and I think we can do it.

"We've all been together for a while now. When I'm out on the pitch I look to my right and there's Craig Thomson. Temps is out on the wing on the other side.

"These are players I've played with for four years and I'm really familiar with them.

"If I'd been chucked in to the first team a few years ago I'd hardly have known anyone."

The obvious advantage to promoting a cluster of youths at once is that there is no need to foster camaraderie. Templeton, Novikovas, McGowan, Thomson and the rest already know each other inside out, from favoured foot right through to sleeping habits.

"Temps stayed with me when we were in the under-19s. He was from Glasgow so the club put him in the same digs as me," continued McGowan.

"He snores, which is a real pain, but we get on really well and he's a great guy. He's been outstanding in pre-season so far. He's one of those players the fans love, although I don't want to big him up too much. He won't be able to get his head through the dressing room door.

"Arvydas was in our under-19 team as well, as was Craig Thomson.

"Then you have Eggert Jonsson, Lee Wallace and Calum Elliot. Those players are all from our youth academy. I've known them since I came to the club four years ago.

"We're all mates, we all play golf together and things like that. We go out together so any one of us that gets in the team deserves it.

"We are all happy for each other. If I take someone's spot then I hope they would be happy for me.

"It will make them work harder, which in turn makes me work harder and helps the team benefit. I wouldn't be thinking, 'I'm not gonna let Temps back in the house cos he's taken my spot'."

McGowan might have expected his spot to be in defence, but substitute outings against Gillingham and Millwall indicated to Jim Jefferies, the Hearts manager, that he will be better utilised elsewhere.

"Ryan McGowan, if he's going to be part of the squad, looks like he's going to be a midfield player," explained Jefferies.

"He bursts forward quite well and maybe that defensive side of the game is a bit too far for him at the moment until he gets more experience.

"He doesn't have that responsibility in the middle of the park. He passes it, covers well, puts in challenges and gets forward from there."

All of which sits comfortably with McGowan, who looked somewhat disorientated at right-back in the friendly against Dunfermline.

"Listen, I'll play anywhere. Wherever he tells me to play, I'll play," said the 20-year-old.

"Things can change because you can be second or third down the line, then suddenly the team gets two injuries and you're in.

"I need to make sure that I'm physically and mentally prepared for when the gaffer calls on me.

"If he needs me to start or come off the bench, I want to impress him every chance I get.

"I've played most of my career at centre-back or centre midfield.

"It was only last season when I went on loan to Ayr that I went to right-back.

"The regular right-back got injured and we were struggling a bit so the manager put me in his place.

"I did alright and he kept me there for ten or 15 games. Most of my time at Ayr I played centre-back or right-back.

"The Dunfermline game was my first 45 minutes since the end of last season and I was a bit lethargic.

"It gave me some match fitness but I felt a lot sharper in England, more up to the pace of the games.

"I think the gaffer has worked things well because we had a heavy load at the start of pre-season in Italy and now he's eased it off.

"I think we looked a lot sharper than the teams we played in England and I think both Gillingham and Millwall were a bit ahead of us in their preparation.

"Everything is looking forward. We're coming from behind to win so everyone is really pleased with how it's going."

Of all those in the Riccarton dressing room, few will be more satisfied than the kids who thrived down south.

Prove their worth against two of England's finest this week and they could cement a place in an altogether more youthful Hearts team this season.