Excitement builds inside the Hearts dressing-room - and why the Rangers result is a strong sign

SNS Group

Gerald Taylor’s competitive Hearts debut illustrated his potential to become long-remembered right-back at Tynecastle Park. Pre-season friendlies offered hints of the Costa Rican’s talent, but the first league game provides a more stringent examination. Even more so when it’s against one of the Glasgow duopoly. He was simply the best player on the pitch as the 2024/25 William Hill Premiership opened with Saturday’s 0-0 draw between Hearts and Rangers.

Charging forward past opponents at pace, linking with team-mates, delivering crosses, tackling wingers, winning headers: It seems Taylor can do a bit of everything. He is only 23 and still adjusting to a new country, culture, climate and continent after arriving on loan from Deportivo Saprissa in his homeland last month. It already looks nailed on that Hearts will invoke their option to convert his loan into a permanent transfer next year.

Excitement inside the Tynecastle dressing room has been building all summer. Eight new signings joined the squad, the latest being midfielder Malachi Boateng from Crystal Palace just hours before Saturday’s kick-off. Eight will almost certainly increase to nine in the coming days after the Colombian left-back Andrés Salazar arrived in Edinburgh to sign another loan deal.

Taylor is the one generating the greatest sense of anticipation, which will only increase after Saturday. “He’s an exciting player isn’t he?” commented the Hearts midfielder Cammy Devlin. “I feel like you want your full-backs, especially as a midfielder when they're playing the winger, there's someone always running off you. He really helped us in terms of stepping in front of [Oscar] Cortes. He was his man and won the ball.

“His pace is electric. He's an exciting prospect like all our new signings are. But like I said, it's only one game. You just want to keep everyone grounded. Every game is different. We go to Dundee next week, it'll be a different sort of challenge in many different ways. The away games are so tough. Last year at Dundee we were a really good side and we found it quite tough when we went there. You want to keep everyone grounded and just reset when we go back to training. But I think for him [Taylor] and everyone, that was their first Hearts game today. It was super exciting and impressive.”

Taylor’s pace has already been noted by his new team-mates at Hearts. “He's super quick. I think when we do sprints at training, I try to go in the group behind him so I'm not looking so slow,” joked Devlin. “He's so quick and it's such a powerful tool to have. I think pace wins everything. Kenny [Vargas] I think showed that on Saturday many times. You feel like you're camped up and the ball goes long and he wins the ball. It helps so much and just relieves so much pressure for us. Yeah, Gerald's super quick but we've got a lot of quick boys in our team.”

Taylor was one of three debutants in the Hearts side alongside fellow full-back James Penrice on the opposite flank and midfielder Yan Dhanda. Boateng came on as a late replacement, joining Daniel Oyegoke and Blair Spittal as substitutes. Musa Drammeh did not make the squad, likewise goalkeeper Ryan Fulton.

“I was really impressed,” stressed Devlin. “I think whether you've come from the UK or whether you've come from Costa Rica like Gerald, like Kenny did last year, like our Aussie boys did from Australia, it's hard coming into this environment. I think Scottish football is unique in terms of the atmosphere that Tynecastle brings.

“I haven't played abroad anywhere else, but I feel like you don't get that everywhere and the support they give you when they see that you're giving your all is second to none. You really do feel that. I was super impressed with everyone. The boys that have come from other Scottish teams, Yan, Spits, Malachi coming on for his debut - the first time we met him was before the game and he comes in and that's unreal.

“That's the sort of culture we want to provide for those boys. I think when you come into a new team it can be daunting, but I feel like walking into our Hearts changing room, up at the Oriam and here at Tynecastle, is a welcoming environment. But yes, I was super impressed with everyone and hopefully we can just build on that.”

Hearts’ performance could easily have earned them all three points, especially after a first half in which they had the better of Rangers. Dhanda’s deflected effort struck the crossbar, Penrice forced the Jack Butland into a vital save, and Lawrence Shankland also tested the visiting goalkeeper.

“I think it was a strong performance,” said Devlin. “I think for parts of the game we had good control and we had the ball, which is definitely something we want to have this year. I feel like we came on leaps and bounds last year as a team under the new manager and we want to take that to another level now. I feel like last year we competed in these games, but now I actually feel like we could have won that game.

“Obviously they had chances, we had chances like any 0-0 draw. But I thought it was a strong performance. The energy and the will to win and win tackles was something that was just the basics of football. It's so important. I spoke after the [Fleetwood friendly] game last week about that just being something that should be the norm when you're wearing a Hearts jersey.

“That's just an expectation, to show the basics and work as hard as you possibly can and then you get your rewards. Unfortunately, we didn't get the rewards in terms of a goal to win the game but I feel like we did in terms of the feeling after the game was positive and being back at home was such a good feeling. To feel that atmosphere, you definitely feel it when you're out on the pitch. I think it was a strong performance and I'm walking away thinking we're unlucky not to get a goal and win.”

At the same time, no-one at Hearts will get carried away with a goalless draw. “It's only one game in so you don't want to come in here saying [anything]. Our goal is to just be better than we were last season. I think that's something so important and I feel like if we do that, we're going to leave ourselves in a good position come May time next year. You don't want to look 38 games ahead. You want to just look next week, when we've got Dundee away. That's the next hurdle in front of us. We want to get our first win of the season.

“I feel like we've got a really strong squad. I feel like the roles and responsibilities within the team are all so clear. You know what you're doing when you're out on the pitch. That's a good feeling when you're a player. You know exactly what you're supposed to be doing. I feel like we've got something that we've had since I've been here, but it's really strong. I feel the competition for places and the depth we've got within the squad is obviously really necessary with Europe.

“The next four to five months up until Christmas is going to be games every three, four days. Even after that, having competition for places at this club should be the norm. It just raises the levels in training. It's been really good, really positive. I feel after that game it's just another step in the right direction. Unfortunately we didn't win, but hopefully next week we can get our first win.”

Devlin arrived at Hearts in summer 2021 and believes the current squad is the strongest he has been involved in. “I think in terms of depth, yes. I feel like there's boys that will be disappointed they didn't play [on Saturday]. Last season, there were games I didn't play and you're disappointed. You're a competitor. You just want to play every game, every minute.

“I feel like this is probably the strongest Hearts squad as a whole that we've had since I've been here. Since I first came here there have been some great players, but I feel like the depth in terms of if one player is not performing or unfortunately picks up an injury, the person that steps in is capable and everyone's willing. That only puts you in good stead for the season.”

Devlin anchored midfield alongside Jorge Grant on Saturday and both players put in efficient displays. “Yes, I loved it. Like I said, the depth we've got is super. We've got great midfielders on the bench, then there's a couple injured who have shown what they can do. So the competition for places is super. Granty is a top player and we’re good mates so we've spoken about wanting to play together as a partnership.

“On Saturday, we were fortunate enough to do that. I feel like we complement each other well. I personally don't think he gets the credit he deserves in terms of we all know what he can do on the ball. He's a creator, he's super in the final third. On the other side of the game, he works so hard. He's one of the fittest and I'm sure when we check his numbers he'll be up the top in terms of the ground he covered and the tackles.

“I feel like the connection we've got was on display and, if that's to continue, then so be it. Every player who comes in, like I've said a couple of times, is ready and waiting. The boys that maybe didn't start or the ones who are injured are watching, wanting to be the two. That's a healthy competition. I was really happy to play with Grant. He's a great player.”