Robbie Neilson reveals why he wanted Jordan Roberts' pace and power at Hearts

Robbie Neilson is pleased to bring Jordan Roberts to Hearts.

Any player emerging from a reputable English club as a free agent inevitably attracts suitors. Hearts ensnared Jordan Roberts’ pace and power ahead of several other clubs, much to manager Robbie Neilson’s delight.

Roberts signed a two-year contract at Tynecastle Park yesterday with an order to add much-needed intensity in the final third of the pitch.

He left Ipswich Town in May and, despite advances from Gillingham, Salford City, Doncaster Rovers and Scunthorpe United among others, chose to continue his career in Gorgie.

It is understandable that Neilson sees the 26-year-old as a slight coup. Not many players would jump from England’s third tier to Scotland’s second, but Hearts have always believed they can count on some unique selling points.

“Coming out of a club like Ipswich on a free at that age, it’s always the case that there will be a lot of teams interested. I think the facilities and the opportunity to come to a club of Hearts’ size has spoken for us,” said Neilson, speaking exclusively to the Evening News.

One of the manager's priorities since returning to Tynecastle has been to inject pace into the squad. Roberts does just that. He was on Hearts’ radar two years ago when leaving Crawley Town but opted instead for Ipswich.

“Once we got him up here and showed him the training ground and the stadium, he was delighted to come on board,” explained Neilson.

“I know the club tried to sign him a couple of years ago before he went to Ipswich, so he knew the place. He knew the club and everything about it so it wasn’t a hard sell at all from our perspective.

“With the facilities we have and the fanbase at Hearts, it’s an attractive prospect. Jordan had spent time at Inverness and played at Tynecastle before so he was eager to get up here.”

Injury hindered him at times during that solitary year in the Highlands in season 2015/16. He is now a much more rounded and developed footballer.

Being left-sided is also a key factor. Hearts have lacked an experienced left-footed attacker for some time, which Neilson quickly identified.

“We knew about him from his time at Inverness and his spell down south as well. We knew of him at Crawley, Ipswich and Gillingham.

“We were looking to bring in a left-sided player and we had a good look at him. He came up, had a look round and I think he will be an excellent signing for us.

“He has real pace and power in the wide areas. I said previously that we needed to bring some pace to the team on the wings. Jordan will definitely do that.

“We would like to add a couple more as well but I believe he is a really good addition to the squad.

“We were looking to get somebody who could play on the left flank. I think it’s important you have people who can go outside an opponent and stretch the game for you.

“I wanted someone who is aggressive in one-versus-one situations and Jordan does that. He can also play up front. He is a good size and can be used more centrally.

“We need pace in these wider areas, we need people who will run at opposition defenders and go one on one, we need people who will put deliveries into the box. That’s why we’ve signed Jordan.”

Roberts trained with the Hearts squad at Riccarton for the first time yesterday. He managed to put in a useful amount of physical work during lockdown and arrived in impressive shape.

“He is actually in very good condition. He went back to train with Gillingham because they thought that their season might restart, so he hasn't long finished up. He has done a lot of work himself so his condition is pretty good,” said Neilson.

With Roberts and goalkeeper Craig Gordon on board, Neilson hankers after another two or potentially three signings. He would like to recruit another winger, hence the former Motherwell player Elliott Frear continuing to train at Riccarton.

He also covets a dominant central midfielder if he can find the right candidate. Plus, if 18-year-old Aaron Hickey is sold, a new left-back is a possibility.

Neilson stressed that the signing of Roberts does not affect Frear’s prospects of securing a contract with Hearts.

“We are still having a chat with him so we will see where that one goes in the next week or two. We are looking to add in these wider areas as I said. Elliott has been doing really well in training and we will just keep assessing it.

“He is comfortable training with us taking a look at him to see what we think. He’s someone I had nearly signed up at Dundee United and I like him as a player so we will see how it goes.”

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