Neil Critchley spots Hearts factor pointing to bright future as Shankland verdict sent after Scotland decision

Neil Critchley reckons Scotland call-ups for a host of Hearts youngsters shows the talent the team has bubbling beneath the surface.

James Wilson has been called up to the senior Scotland side after shining at senior level in maroon. Adam Forrester has also been a regular for Hearts and is selected for the U21s team, as are Liam McFarlane and Finlay Pollock, both out on loan. Macaulay Tait is impressing out on loan for promotion-chasing Livingston.

The club have a ‘B’ team in the Lowland League and Critchley comes from a youth academy background alongside stints as QPR and Blackpool manager. He says the Scotland calls point to what the club is trying to achieve.

Youth focus at Hearts

Critchley said: "Yes, I think it shows an indication of how we want to be as a club moving forward. I'll repeat that the academy have done brilliant work with these young players.

"Every young player's pathway is different. James has obviously pretty much gone straight into the first team, which is rare. Adam Forrester, again, maybe not that long ago with a B team and maybe not thinking he was going to get this opportunity and it's going to come so quickly. He's progressed fantastically well and that's come from Foxy [Liam Fox] prior to me. Then the other players, Finlay [Pollock] out on loan, Liam [McFarlane] out on loan, Macaulay Tait's out on loan.

"Some players might have to go on a different type of journey, but what we'll do is always make the best decisions of what we think is the right thing for the right players at the right time. I think we've got good experience of that and I hope it serves to all the academy players. If parents are thinking about where do we take our boys then they look at Hearts and think, they give young players an opportunity – if our son's good enough then they'll have an opportunity at this football club.

“I think it's a collective, it isn't just about me. It's a collective effort. The people at the top end are sometimes the beneficiary of the work that's gone on for the last 10 years prior. It just so happens that I'm here now speaking about it but you could be speaking to Andy Webster, the academy director, you could be speaking to the academy staff. They've been instrumental in James.

"I've lived that journey and parents sacrifice so much to travel into training and games and they have other siblings and it's difficult. It puts an enormous amount of strain on families. And there's no guarantee at the end of it that they're going to have a career in play. You just want them to enjoy their journey, let them be and give them the advice and support and facilitate the right environment for them to push forward. I say with James and Adam and some of the other players, I'm hoping that this is evidence that, at this moment in time, this football club is a good place to be for young players."

Shankland backed

Meanwhile, with Craig Gordon and Wilson in the senior Scotland squad, Lawrence Shankland has not been included this time around. Critchley has backed his attacker amid being left out of the national team as he continues to prove key in a playmaker role.

Critchley said ahead of the Premiership match with Ross County: “Shanks is Shanks. He’s a super professional and a great guy. Naturally, he will be disappointed and I would expect him to be. I know he is fully focused on having a good end to the season here. He’s out there doing extra, as he always does, with his finishing. He is a humble guy and I know he will be concentrating on performing his best for us between now and the end of the season. If that happens, I am sure at some point he will be back into international contention.”

On Wilson, Critchley added: “I've worked with many young players who've had international recognition at a young age. And I like to think myself and the staff and the environment that we create is one of keeping people's feet on the ground and praise when it's deserved, but also the truth and honesty and letting players know how they can improve and where they need to improve.

"And James, he fits into that category because he's always wanting to improve and to learn more about the game and his game. So I think he's got really good personality traits and he's going to need good people around him. Obviously his parents, firstly, his family and his friends and good advice around him to make sure that he remains the person that he is right now because he's a joy to work with every day."