Hearts aim for Celtic striker Cillian Sheridan

HEARTS are interested in the Celtic striker Cillian Sheridan but face stiff competition for the player's signature from clubs in Scotland and on the continent.

Manager Jim Jefferies and majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov are pondering a move for the 21-year-old Irishman, who could cost around 300,000-plus as he is under contract at Parkhead.

Sheridan has been recommended to Jefferies as the kind of player who could potentially improve Hearts' goalscoring ratio. He also fits Romanov's criteria for purchasing players as a young, prospering forward who would command a moderate transfer fee but who harbours genuine sell-on potential.

Jefferies is interested but Hearts have yet to make an official approach. Several other clubs in Scotland have contacted Celtic inquiring about him and there is strong interest from Europe. Sheridan is known to be keen to test himself abroad.

Despite failing to establish himself as a first-team regular with Celtic, he made his international debut for the Republic of Ireland against Paraguay in a friendly this week. He has also spent time on loan at Motherwell, Plymouth Argyle and St Johnstone in recent seasons.

Hearts, meanwhile, have confirmed a pre-season friendly against English League One club Gillingham at the KRBS Priestfield Stadium on Thursday, 29 July.

The match will kick off at 7:45pm, two nights after Hearts' friendly with Dunfermline at East End Park. The Edinburgh club will head for London immediately after the Gillingham fixture to face Millwall in Neil Harris's testimonial, which takes place two days later on Saturday, 31 July.

"We were looking for a game before the Millwall match and this fits in nicely," said Jefferies. "We play Gillingham on the Thursday and then have the game on the Saturday and we'll come back up after that one."