Hearts hero reveals glowing transfer reference he provided club during winter window

A former Hearts player has revealed the jubilant character reference he provided the club on one of their winter signings.

It was a relatively quiet transfer deadline day for the club this week but they did make one signing in Harry Milne. The left-back has been in the lower leagues of the SPFL with Cove Rangers and Partick Thistle, now heading to Gorgie as Ethan Drysdale goes the other way to the Jags on loan.

Paul Hartley managed Milne at Cove Rangers and is made up that his former player is now featuring for the side he won the Scottish Cup with. Hearts came to him for a reference and he was all too happy to provide his positive assessment.

The former midfielder said: “He's come through the hard way. He's had to graft and fight and work. He had a part-time job in a pub. Even when he was playing here, he was working a Friday night in a pub. We sort of stopped that just because of the preparation. He's come through a difficult route but a route that looks where he is now.

“We sort of paid the shift he was getting to just keep him out of that environment in a pub on a Friday night or whatever. He's on his feet all the time. It just shows you where he's come from. Hearts have done an unbelievable amount of background work on him. They knew everything about him.

“They knew what he did and what he was like, his background and everything. I gave him a glowing reference to be quite honest with you. He never caused me any problems. He was terrific. You could see he was a really good player there. Even when Harry was here, there was often chat about how much potential he had, even in his Highland League days.

“There’s an argument for the guys that drop out of full-time football. Harry was a clever boy. I never thought he wanted to go to that full-time level. I didn't think he actually pushed himself enough. It wasn't until the last 18 months that he saw that he could jump a couple of levels. He's certainly done that. He's never come through an academy, really. He's come through the tough way, the hard way.

“I think that makes it even more pleasing for myself to get a move to a club like Hearts. The size of the club he's going to. He's had to come from the Highland League, right through the divisions, every league. When he left here to go to Thistle, it was another step up again. It was a good jump for him. Then he's proved that he's a really good player. There's still loads of good football left in him at 28. Then he's gone to a massive club like Hearts. From that jump in the space of 5-6 years is quite remarkable. It shows you that he's earned it.”