Exclusive:Hearts production line bucks the trend at Riccarton after John Robertson and a 43-year wait

For decades it was a stick used to beat Hearts at regular intervals. “They haven’t produced a top international striker since John Robertson,” critics would say repeatedly. Now, 43 years since the iconic Robbo broke through from the youth team to make his Tynecastle debut against Queen of the South, a successor of international pedigree has emerged.

James Wilson is a long way from matching Robertson’s achievements in maroon, so let’s not go there. Nonetheless, by earning a Scotland call-up aged 18, Wilson is threatening to buck the Riccarton trend. Yes, Hearts haven’t developed a real quality striker since Robertson in 1982, but this one might just be worth the long wait.

Other centre-forwards emerged in between, like Scott Crabbe, Calum Elliot, Jamie Mole, Gary Glen and Dale Carrick. They achieved varying degrees of notoriety and popularity in Gorgie but didn’t manage a senior international cap. Wilson will. It is merely a matter of time. It might come in this week’s Nations League play-off against Greece, which would make him the youngest player ever to represent Scotland. For Hearts, the disapprovers can be silenced when it happens.

“John Robertson was an absolute one-off. He had a natural ability,” explained Robertson’s former Tynecastle team-mate Gary Mackay of the club’s record league goalscorer. “Robbo’s instinct was a natural instinct and I think James Wilson looks like he has a natural instinct. He gets into the right places at the right times.

“Robbo was helped so much by guys like Jimmy Bone, Sandy Clark, Willie Johnston and other guys in the front area of the pitch. I don’t think anybody can underestimate the fact that development of young players comes from good learning and teaching from more other players. If James Wilson goes on and progresses his career, I would guess he would be very positive about help from Craig Gordon as a senior professional and Lawrence Shankland as a fellow striker.”

Scotland call-ups show the Edinburgh football talent is serving the national teams at Hampden

Mackay previously criticised the output from Riccarton for many years, arguing that more than £1m spent yearly at the club’s training base should result in better home-grown Hearts players. Wilson’s emergence follows those of midfielders Finlay Pollock and Macaulay Tait, both on loan at Raith Rovers and Livingston respectively this season.

Defender Adam Forrester broke into the senior Tynecastle team this term and earned a Scotland Under-21 call-up this month alongside Pollock and goalkeeper Liam McFarlane. Tait would also have been included but chose to prioritise Livingston’s league matches as they strive for promotion from the Scottish Championship.

“At times in your life, you hope things happen to make you eat your words,” said Mackay. “This period at Hearts looks like it is going to make me eat my words because I have been critical of the funds that have been put into our academy on a continual basis with very little in return.

“Is it a coincidence that there are people like Liam Fox, Lee Wallace and Angus Beith who have been working in there? Liam is now at first-team level and he knows the kids who will be pushing for places at that level. Lee played at the top level and Angus knows exactly what the club is about. There are plenty other coaches who will be really important to the progress of the youth players.

“I hadn’t met any of the young guys previously but I met James at a 150th anniversary event. I knew his footballing ability but the other great thing is that it’s not just football ability with these lads. If James is anything to go by, they are very humble young people. James came across as a very down-to-earth guy when I spoke to him. It augurs well for the future if that’s the kind of individuals that we are developing - not just good football players, but good human beings.”

Those above comprise the first actual clutch of Hearts youth academy graduates to break into the first-team squad since the era of Jamie Walker, Sam Nicholson, Callum Paterson, Jason Holt and Brad McKay more than 10 years ago. “You don’t get picked for international duty unless the ability is there,” Mackay pointed out.

“It’s now up to them to realise, ‘hard work has got me here, but I need to keep kicking on from this point’. I think the manager, Neil Critchley, is a developer of players and I know, undoubtedly, that Liam Fox is a developer of players. Hopefully these young guys will realise that they have good teachers round about them and learn from them.”

READ MORE: Wilson’s Scotland role outlined