Hearts boss: Amankwaa is '˜bit of risk', no offers for Lafferty

Craig Levein has not received any offers for Hearts striker Kyle Lafferty. Pic: SNS

The winger joined the Jambos on Thursday on an 18-month deal from FC Copenhagen following an injury-plagued few years.

Amankwaa, a 23-year-old who has represented Denmark at all junior levels, suffered serious Achilles and knee injuries which limited him to just 99 appearances in six years at his former club.

Despite admitting it was a risk to bring the player in, Levein is excited by the potential of Amankwaa.

“I’m really pleased I have managed to get this done,” he said. “I like the story.

“As a young boy he was on a very sharp incline and his career was heading upwards quickly, but then he has had problems with injury.

“In there somewhere is still that player who was destined to do great things.

“I accept it’s a bit of a risk because he has had injuries, but the type (of injury) make me feel a little better: knee injuries, problems with cartilage happens, even twice.

“I feel his career hasn’t been allowed to continue on the trajectory it was on.

“I’m hoping that means he feels he has a lot to prove and he plays like the 18-year-old who was heading for the stars.”

Amankwaa’s arrival looks set to spell the end of a brief Tynecastle career for Isma Goncalves, who has been left out of the squad to face Motherwell on Saturday and could leave the club in the coming days.

Two more that are hoping to depart are Cole Stockton and Krystian Nowak who are deemed surplus to requirements at the club, but Levein denied Hearts have received an offer from Sunderland for striker Kyle Lafferty.

On Nowak and Stockton, he said: “Cole and Krystian Nowak have both told their agents they are not happy with not getting game-time.

“I couldn’t promise they would get it before the end of the season so I have said if they find something else I’m more than happy to let them go.”

With Stockton and Goncalves likely to leave, Levein will be left short on striking options and is still looking to bring in another forward before the end of the window.

“We need to get another striker and that’s what I’m working on just now,” he said. “We might add another midfielder but we will have to see how it all pans out with Krystian and Cole.”