Temp contract gives Hearts' David Templeton designs on new opportunities

OCHILVIEW is what you might term a modest sporting venue. The kind rarely synonymous with memorable moments at the top level. Nonetheless, the home of Stenhousemuir is where David Templeton served his footballing apprenticeship, and he wouldn't have wished to grow up anywhere else.

• David Templeton

The precocious winger signed a new three-year contract with Hearts earlier this week, tying him to Tynecastle until summer 2013. He attributes SPL prosperity to a solid Second Division grounding with one of the game's lesser lights.

Templeton, now 21, first appeared in Stenhousemuir's first team aged 16. He was instantly identified as a prodigious talent and attracted scouts from Rangers, Hearts and other SPL clubs. For two years he thrived as a boy doing a man's job in the lower leagues but, in January 2007, an initial fee of 30,000 saw him transferred to Hearts.

Now an established member of the first-team squad under Jim Jefferies, and with Scotland Under-19 honours to his name, the player dare not forget those humble roots in Larbert. He believes they shaped his entire career.

"I come from Parkhead in Glasgow but Stenhousemuir's is a very good youth system," he said. "They have brought through quite a few players. Another couple of players have signed for Hearts from Stenhousemuir.

"Before I joined Stenhousemuir I was playing boys' club football and I knew their under-19 assistant manager, Des Morrison, who asked me to come for a trial. It just progressed from there.

"There were a few clubs watching me and Rangers were in contact but no offer was ever made. I played a bounce game against them and scored, but that was it.

"It's totally different here at Hearts. I needed the full-time football to help me and obviously it has. But I really enjoyed myself at Stenhousemuir."

Injuries have had a detrimental effect on Templeton's 2009/10 campaign and forced him to play a bit-part role at first-team level.

A broken metatarsal meant he did not feature at all until December, although he managed to return in noteworthy fashion by crossing for Ismael Bouzid to head the winning goal against Celtic at Tynecastle. A twisted ankle after Christmas brought further misfortune but he scored his first Hearts goal against Hamilton last month and notched another in the recent defeat at Fir Park.

Given the stop-start nature of his season to date, Templeton was relieved to be rewarded with a new contract and is praying that injury complaints are now behind him.

"As soon as they offered me the new contract I signed it straight away," he said. "I'd love to be playing every week and that's my main aim now, just to be playing in the team. I think I'm at the best place to do that, especially with the new manager. He gives young boys a chance so if I get in I can hopefully keep my place.

"Since they scrapped the reserve league it's been hard. I've had quite a few injuries this season. I haven't been able to get match sharp. When I come on I don't feel as sharp as I should be for the first team. Hopefully I can get a few chances.

I just want to play as much as possible, then I can get the sharpness and show how good I can be."