Winger Suso promises fans plenty of Spanish highs

Published on Wednesday 1 July 2009 22:52

THE tattoo on his right arm says – in Portuguese – "only god can judge me" but Hearts fans can also look forward to running the rule over new signing Jesus Manuel Santana Abreu.

The man known as Suso became the first Hearts signing of the summer to be unveiled yesterday and revealed enough to suggest he could soon become a crowd favourite at Tynecastle. He certainly indicated that Csaba Laszlo's side are set to be given the boost of the injection of some adventure after a season which saw Hearts routinely described as hard-working, if often uninspiring.

Not that it hampered them when it came to achieving their objectives. Third place was secured and few could argue that it was not deserved. But Hearts fans will surely relish the thought of some more inventiveness being added to the team's play, something Suso's capture appears to anticipate. Some may wish to make an association with a player such as Juanjo, another Spaniard who had the ability to light up matches when in a maroon jersey and who shared Suso's slight physique.

He signed over a decade ago and in his three years at Tynecastle perhaps did not shine often enough. Suso, however, is determined to put the work in after signing a three-year deal with Hearts. He is under no illusion about what awaits him in Scotland. After all, his agent, Antonio Carlo, is a former football writer in this country. But he is confident he can stand up for himself in this new environment and thrill the fans at the same time.

He is a right-sided midfielder who likes to get forward, and scored nine goals last season when on loan from Tenerife at UD Fuerteventura in the third tier of Spanish football.

"My favourite thing to do is go one on one and try and beat the opponent," he said. "That is the fun bit for me in football."

It is an admirable manifesto for a 24-year who is embarking on a new life in a country he admits he knows little about. The switch in styles of football will be marked but then Suso is at the right stage of his career to make such a bold move. He first learned that the move to Hearts could be a possibility in December, but the deal was not confirmed until a fortnight ago.

"It wasn't a difficult decision to make," he said. "My representative kept me in touch with the situation. There was no rush."

The prospect of European football enticed Suso, as did the thought of basing himself in Edinburgh. Not even the reputation for Scottish football as a graveyard for ball players could put him off. He knows that when married to a strong work ethic, mercurial talent can flourish.

"I know the game is very physical here in Scotland," he said. "Other than that, I don't know so much so will have to learn quickly." The fast and furious aspect of Scottish football does not fill him with fear, however. "It does not worry me a great deal," he said. "Football is football. I will have to work a lot but that's my aim – to work hard and help the team. Hopefully the goals will come along based on this hard work."

Refreshingly, Suso shrugged when asked about those other Spaniards who have already made the move to Scotland. Instead he raised the bar and mentioned Raul as an inspiration, and pretty much left it there. He simply wishes to furrow his own path, although the presence of Rubn Palazuelos in the Hearts dressing room will at least help him cope with the language barrier. A translator helped him through yesterday's first press conference.

"Nacho Novo is reasonably well known in football and his success here has been well documented," said Suso. "There have been other Spanish players such as Marc Crosas who have played in Scotland. I want to work hard to make a success here for myself. That is all I am concerned about.

"The player I would like to model myself on is Raul of Read Madrid. The Spanish players who have come to England are not particularly ones I would want to model myself on."

Meanwhile, Hearts have welcomed German midfielder Tibor Heber to their Riccarton training base on a two-day trial. The 23 year-old is another attacking midfielder and spent last season with Bundesliga 2 side Alemennia Aachen, who Hearts will face during next week's tour in Germany.