Hearts sign Polish defender as they set off for Germany

Published on Sunday 5 July 2009 23:31

HEARTS have bolstered their squad further ahead of the new season with the arrival of Polish defender Dawid Kucharski.

The 24-year-old has been recruited from top-tier side Lech Poznan, who finished third last term in the Ekstraklasa and also won the Polish Cup.

The 6ft 2in player becomes the third new arrival of the close season after manager Csaba Laszlo snapped up Spanish winger Suso Santana. Inverness midfielder Ian Black joined the club after agreeing a contract in January.

Kucharski began his career as a 17-year-old at Amica Wronki, before moving to Lech Poznan in 2006.

Meanwhile, Laszlo has named a squad of 22 for the club's pre-season tour of Germany which begins today.

Jose Goncalves is in the squad after his season-long loan at Nuremburg came to an end. Black and Santana are also in the party along with youngsters Ryan McGowan, Arvydas Novikovas, Craig Thomson and David Templeton for the trip to Barsinghausen, just west of Hannover.

Hearts will play four games, the first coming tomorrow against Goslar SC, followed by a game against Polish club Slask Wroclaw at the Rudolf Kalweit Stadion in Hannover on Wednesday.

They play Hamburg team St Pauli at their Millerntor Stadion on Friday evening. St Pauli currently play in the second tier of the Bundesliga.

Hearts wind up their tour with a game against Alemannia Aachen on Sunday afternoon.