July 2022

22 SPORT
Early start for Hearts
There’s new arrivals at Tynecastle – Forrest, Neilson and Rowles
By JAMIE MCINTOSH
MOST FOOTBALL managers would tell you that
June is an early stage of the summer transfer
window when not much happens, but Hearts
have already managed to complete the signing of
three players.
Alan Forrest arrived at Tynecastle to sign a
two-year-deal following the expiration of his
Livingston contract. Lewis Neilson joined on a
free transfer from Dundee United on a threeyear-deal
and from slightly further afield,
defender Kye Rowles joined from Australian side,
Central Coast Mariners, also on a three-year-deal.
Early transfer window business is always a
good sign, for a lot of different reasons. The
transfer market in June is often very quiet,
normally because a lot of people are enjoying
some holiday time after a hectic season.
From Hearts’ point of view however, it shows
that those in the recruitment department and
manager Robbie Neilson have a clear vision of the
types of players they want to bring to Tynecastle.
The Hearts boss said this time last year, that he
wanted to bring down the average age of the
Hibs new faces
New names for the coming season at Easter Road
By JOHN HISLOP
A NEW SEASON beckons and
Hibs fans are already excited at
the prospect of watching and
assessing a number of new
signings.
So far new boss Lee Johnson
has added Australian
international Lewis Miller, loan
signing Momodou Bojang,
Scotland international
goalkeeper David Marshall,
midfielder Nohan Kenneh and
defender Rocky Bushuri to his
squad and also recalled EJ
Johnson from partner club
Charleston Battery.
But one name in particular
has caught the supporters’
attention - 21-year-old Jair
Tavares hails from a footballing
family. His older brothers
Caludio and Miguel both
featured in Portugal’s topflight,
whilst his cousin Renato
Sanches has won the European
Championship, the Bundesliga,
Ligue 1 and Primeira Liga.
Tavares come through the
Benfica youth set-up and has
played for all levels from
Portugal’s Under-15s to the
Under-19 team.
Alongside the international
stage, he also impressed for
Benfica. He appeared in the
UEFA Youth League in 2018
against Bayern Munich, before
facing Marseille, RB Leipzig,
and Zenit the following season.
He shone in the Under-23s
league bagging six goals,
which led to his progression to
Benfica B.
With the Portuguese side’s B
Team, he continued to develop
and was a regular for them last
season contributing to five
goals in 24 league games.
The youngster has already
developed a positive
relationship with the team.
Tavares, who’s moving away
from his home nation for the
first time, a positive
relationship with the manager
was of massive help as he looks
to develop and help the team.
“The trust he passed on to
me was really important to
come here,” Jair admitted. “Not
so many coaches do what he
did for me, so I thank him a lot.
Alan Forrest
squad, so it is no surprise to see Rowles aged 24,
Forrest 25 and Neilson just 19. The key to this is
that Hearts hope they can develop these types of
players and then potentially sell them on for a fee.
At a Foundation of Hearts open meeting in
April, sporting director Joe Savage acknowledged
that Hearts are a selling club, so it is important to
recruit shrewdly. So far so good on that front.
Hearts have an edge on the likes of Hibernian
and Aberdeen this year in terms of what they
can offer a player and that is the carrot of
European football.
The Jambos are guaranteed at least eight
“I’m really, really happy. I’m
excited. I came from Portugal
to help the team and the Club
to get success and a lot of wins.
It’s a historical club in this
country and is a big
opportunity to play for this
club, to show me and this club
to the world. I am here to help
the club.
“The experience I had in the
second league in Portugal for
Benfica B really helped me a lot
because I played against big
men, which gave you a lot of
experience and that’ll be
important for this season at
Hibernian FC.”
Tavares is pictured wearing
the newly released home strip
follows the Club’s traditional
design. The green body and
white sleeves with a new
creative pattern of Easter Road
sublimated on the front of the
jersey along with the subtle
outline of the West Stand on
the front of the strip which
celebrates Hibs proud
connection their historic home
stadium. All roads lead to
Easter Road.
European matches in either the Europa League
or the Europa Conference League.
For Hearts, next season is all about trying to
compete in Europe but also consolidate their
position domestically in order to continue
progressing as a club.
That is not going to be easy. To do this, Hearts
will need to have a bigger squad, therefore it is
perhaps no surprise to see the Tynecastle side
active early on in the window.
With three signings already made, attention
now turns to the rumoured fourth, Lawrence
Shankland. The 26-year-old ticks a lot of boxes.
He has already worked under manager Robbie
Neilson, and he knows the Scottish Premiership
having played with Dundee United prior to his
move to Belgian side Beerschot in August 2021.
The asking price of £500,000 is something
Hearts are not expected to cough up, but all
parties appear to be keen on the move, so it is
a transfer to keep an eye on.
If Hearts can secure the services of the striker
it would send out a message of intent to the rest
of the league because above all else there is no
doubting Shankland’s ability in front of goal.
Jair Tavares joins Hibernian
FC from Benfica
Cameron Allan
Game’s not
over till the fat
striker scores
HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN legend John
Robertson’s Robbo: My Autobiography is
coming out in paperback. The first time
Robertson, Hearts’ all-time leading goal
scorer in the league, has told his
extraordinary story, from the early days
right up to the end of his playing career
with the club.
During Robbo’s remarkable career, he
recorded a total of 311 goals in 719
appearances for Hearts. Robbo is by far
the most successful striker for the club in
the modern era, with that incredible
knack of being in the right place at the
right time. Robbo also earned his other
nickname – the ‘Hammer of Hibs’ ¬– by
scoring a record 27 goals against Hearts’
city rivals.
Robbo: My Autobiography covers
everything from John Robertson’s days
growing up in Edinburgh, losing his
father at age 14 to how he ended up
at Hearts.
From the brilliant stories about Brian
Clough, Wallace Mercer and the
characters he met along the way, to the
heartbreak of losing the league in the
final eight minutes of the season, and
from his time with Scotland to finally
winning silverware.
Written in Robertson’s own words,
Robbo is the must-have autobiography
for all Hearts fans.
John Robertson was born in Edinburgh
in 1964. After playing for youth clubs in
the capital with great success, his
services were in demand from football
clubs in Scotland and England. He joined
Heart of Midlothian FC when he was 16
and spent most of career there,
becoming one of the club’s most
successful and popular players ever.
Robbo: My Autobiography The Game’s Not
Over till the Fat Striker Scores is available is
available via amazon.co.uk in both print
and digital format.