HEARTS may be struggling to make the top six of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League but caretaker head coach Stephen Frail has taken encouragement from the number of home-grown players in their first team.
Saturday's 1-1 draw at St Mirren left the Edinburgh side three points behind sixth-placed Falkirk, to whom they play host at Tynecastle on Saturday.
But the number of players who had come through the youth ranks to play in the first team – and who
are gaining international recognition – has given Frail hope for the future.
"On Saturday we had seven players in the starting 11 who had come through our system, while another was on the bench," he said.
"That is a notable effort and deserves a good mention as far as I am concerned.
"It is great to see players progress in such a manner and all credit to them for knuckling down and learning the ropes as quickly as they have done.
"Inconsistent performances can often accompany youthful sides, but there is no doubt that there is a bright future ahead of the club.
"Out of those seven, Robbie Neilson, is a Scotland international, Christophe Berra has just been named in George Burley's first Scotland squad, Calum Elliot is an established Scotland Under-21 player, as is Lee Wallace, while Eggert Jonsson is already an Iceland international midfielder.
"Jamie MacDonald is in the Scotland Under-21 squad and when you also consider Andrew Driver has also been talked about regularly for the England Under-21s, then it's clear to see we have a very strong nucleus of excellent young players here."
The full article contains 279 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
