Calem Nieuwenhof reveals past Tynecastle experience which helped sell him on move to Hearts

Hearts new signing Calem Nieuwenhof has revealed a previous visit to Tynecastle Park helped convince him to continue his footballing adventure across the other side of the world.

The 22-year-old Australian officially joined the cinch Premiership side on Wednesday evening after he was granted a work permit following his move from Western Sydney Wanderers being green lit by the Scottish FA.

The central midfielder joins a strong Aussie contingent at the club with Nathaniel Atkinson, Cammy Devlin and Kye Rowles already in the squad. Hearts have also had fellow countryman Oli Bozanic, Ben Garuccio, Garang Kuol and 2012 Scottish Cup winner Ryan McGovern at the club in recent history.

Along with having so many familiar faces to help him settle in, Nieuwenhof was also thrilled by his own experience of coming to a game five years ago and witnessing the love the Hearts fans have for their club.

Calem Nieuwenhof was paraded as a Hearts player after officially completing his transfer from Western Sydney Wanderers. Picture: HMFC

“I’m so excited to join this club. It’s a huge club with so much history. It’s a massive move for me. I’m really looking forward to meeting all the boys and becoming part of the team,” he told Hearts TV.

“There’s been a lot of Aussies who have come to Scotland recently and the majority have done really well. They’ve come over here and it's proven to be a huge stepping stone. Joining the other Aussies here makes it easier for me and a smoother transition.

“It was a pretty easy decision. I played with Oli Bozanic last year and he spoke so highly of his time here.

“My dream has always been to play in Europe and this is the perfect club for me to do so. I’ve seen briefly how passionate the fans are. I actually came to a Hearts game back in 2018 and I remember vividly how much passion there was. So I’m really excited to come and play and represent everyone here.”

Nieuwenhof also let the supporters know what type of player to expect when he first pulls on the famous maroon shirt.

“I would describe myself as a box-to-box midfielder,” he added. “I like to defend and put in some big tackles, but I also like to get forward and contribute with goals and assists when I can. I’m a very hard working player.”