Hearts' Australia World Cup call-ups have huge impact on club

The selection of Hearts’ three Australian players for this month’s World Cup reflects well on the club and on Scottish football, according to the Jambos right-back Michael Smith, who can’t wait to follow the Socceroos when the action kicks off in Qatar.

Kye Rowles, centre, and Cammy Devlin, right, are two of three Hearts players called up for the World Cup.

As well as the call-ups of Cammy Devlin, Nathaniel Atkinson and Kye Rowles raising the capital club’s profile and bolstering the coffers through FIFA payments, the football festival has also helped incentivise the rehabilitation of the players and Smith hopes the club can benefit from all aspects of that as they head into the second part of the season, in December.

“It’s brilliant, we all have another team to support now,” said Smith. “I’m buzzing for them, it will be a great experience. You could tell when it was announced they were over the moon and there was probably a bit of relief because there was a nervousness there.

“The day the squad got released the changing room was over the moon. We all saw the video of Cammy [Devlin] being told and that’s what he’s like, he wears his heart on his sleeve. He gives everything, I’m delighted for him. To get into the squad for the World Cup is massive and probably a huge relief.

“It was probably emotionally draining for him, now he’s got all the energy in the world again. It’s massive for the club, it’s big for the league as well. It shows you the strength of the league and the players in it. It will be good, I actually can’t wait. I love watching the World Cup and I can’t wait to see the boys come up against some world-class players.”

It was touch and go, with Devlin only breaking into the squad recently and Atkinson and Rowles just back from injury. “Rowlsey’s a brilliant player, he was fantastic at the start of the season,” said Smith. “It was just one of those unlucky, weird injuries. But he had the World Cup to look forward to so he was working hard towards that. Now he’s reaping the rewards. And, Natty has got good attributes. Like all the Aussie boys he has a great attitude. He’s had some injury problems. But he was brilliant for us last year and they’ll all come back from the World Cup really strong and raring to go.”