Hearts in Spain: Stephen Kingsley explains benefit of winter training camp and squad reaction to Australia win

Stephen Kingsley believes team unity is an underrated aspect of Hearts’ winter training camp as the first-team squad get down to work in the Costa del Sol.

Robbie Neilson’s side are staying in La Cala and will be playing a pair of friendly matches against Blackburn Rovers and Almeria.

Fitness is obviously high on the list or priorities as the management look to keep players in prime condition while the cinch Premiership is shut down for the World Cup.

But for Kingsley, who is fit again after a hamstring injury, also reckons it’ll help the players who arrived the summer training camp, which was held at the same resort.

Stephen Kingsley at Hearts' winter training camp in the Costa del Sol. Picture: Contributed

“I’m rested and ready to go, really excited to get in amongst the games. We have a couple coming up here so I’m looking to get used to it again and get going,” he told Hearts TV.

“It’s good to get away and be away together with the boys. Some of them didn’t come away with us in the summer, so they’re new, and it’s about getting that togetherness again and re-evaluating where we want to go over the second part of the season.

“So it’s trying to get that bedded into the training and friendlies coming up so we’re ready to go over the next part of the season.

“We had a mid-season break last year and that was the first one I had had in my career. This one is a little different but you treat it in a similar way.

“When you’re back in it’s about getting your fitness levels up and getting what you need out of it so when that first game comes around you’re ready to go.

“It’s going to be a big push over the second half of the season. We’re ready for it.”

Just hours after their arrival, several thousand miles away in Qatar, three members of the squad were seeing their World Cup venture continue as Australia (with Kye Rowles in the starting XI) defeated Denmark to advance to the last 16.

“It’s unbelievable. We’re so delighted for the three of them [Rowles, Cammy Devlin and Nathaniel Atkinson], just being there first of all is an incredible achievement.

“We’re all ecstatic for them. Playing Argentina in the round of 16, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

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