Garang Kuol's Hearts situation laid bare after talks and texts with club management

Australian striker is frustrated over game time and discussions with coaching staff have taken place.

Garang Kuol has held detailed talks with Hearts management regarding his role with the Edinburgh club. Frustrated by a lack of game time since arriving on loan from Newcastle United in January, the teenage Australian striker is eager to contribute during the final five games of the season.

He is expected to feature in Friday’s closed-door game against St Johnstone with a chance to impress interim manager Steven Naismith. Kuol has made just one start and six substitute appearances for Hearts and has not made it off the bench in any of the last five matches.

Naismith explained the situation to the Evening News. “I didn’t know too much in terms of Garang’s best attributes when he signed because I was with the B team,” he said. “Like I’ve done with so many other players, I sat down and had a chat with him.

“I told him: ‘First of all, I understand you have moved halfway round the world. At 18, you’ve moved to one club and went on loan to another club. You have all this pressure on you deliver. That’s a lot to deal with, so let’s strip it back. You firstly need to get to the point where you are just enjoying it and you are learning.’

“I texted Garang after the game on Saturday [against Ross County] when I went home because he was on my mind. I said: ‘I know you will be really disappointed not to get on the pitch. I know you might have been sitting thinking you would definitely get on at 6-0. It was more circumstances of players coming off and who I felt I could put on rather than anything you’ve done.’

“Since I’ve been in this role, he has shown a willingness to learn and I’ve seen improvement – more with off-the-ball stuff. He is a young kid and he lacks that switch when you lose the ball to think: ‘Right, what do I do?’ He hasn’t had that coached as yet. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve seen a big difference and his reactions are much better now.

“He wants to be involved and score goals like every player does. We do sympathise with him. I’ve enjoyed working with him and I think he will be a good player in years to come. He just needs to keep learning.”

Garang Kuol is keen for more game time at Hearts during the season's last five games.

Kuol told Naismith he has enjoyed training sessions. “From the conversations I’ve had with him, I’ve probably told him what he is thinking. Hopefully you gain respect from him because it’s: ‘Oh, he actually does know how I’m feeling.’ I get that. He did say he just wants to learn and, when we were texting back and forward, he said he enjoyed training.

“This is the value of his loan, that he is learning this. I told him he could be back at Newcastle in a reserve team, nowhere near the first team, feeling frustrated. Here, he is part of a first-team environment. You understand there is a demand there and you need to perform.

“He is learning and I think he is in a better place with how he feels. He still has the frustration of not playing, but he has attributes some of the other forwards don’t have which we might need.”