Musa Drammeh blows out his cheeks with a knowing smile.

He has just spoken of his desire to move to Heart of Midlothian and why Scottish football is right for the next step in his career. The 22-year-old noted his enjoyment of the physical side of the game.

Then Craig Halkett's name is brought up and his experience of the centre-back in training. The smile turns to a laugh and he simply answers: "Hard".

But it is a challenge he is relishing. After his experience with Sevilla, where he routinely trained with the first-team, he wanted to go somewhere that would take him forward in his development. He could have gone to England. But he chose Scotland.

"The first time I heard about Hearts was from my agent," he said. "He told me about them, and the second time I spoke with the coach, with Will [Lancefield, head of recruitment] and George [Brown, data analyst]. They told me about the team and about the idea with me and it sounded really good.

"Obviously, it's a good opportunity to play in Europe. When I talked with the coach, he gave me confidence and spoke about the project with me. That really motivated me. With all the fans, a club that plays in the top division, it's a really good move for me.

"Yes, it's different. I know this and I prefer it like this. Personally, I think my football is more like Scottish or English than Spanish. I like the physical side, I prefer that."

Some fans may look at a player coming from the Spanish fourth tier and query the big step up to first-team level. Musa revealed, however, that he had been training with Sevilla's top side for most of last year, impressing under José Luis Mendilibar.

He may well have been unfortunate not to follow friend and colleague Isaac Romero.


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"It was so good because last year I trained with the first team every day for the whole year," he confirmed. "That helped me a lot to learn as a player about how they play. I couldn't play with the first-team because of some circumstances.

"[Ivan] Rakitic impressed me a lot, and also Suso. Isaac Romero has been promoted to the first team and he is a good friend of mine. The coach who gave me the most confidence is Mendilibar. He trained me with so much respect.

He added:  "I remember my time there with good memories but it is finished and now I am with Hearts."

Musa is confident and determined. He wants to get better and wants to learn. On and off the pitch. He is constantly improving his English and conducts the interview in English, only once turning to a member of the Hearts media team to double check he was using the correct term. The desire to speak English and improve it comes from his mother while his sister lives in Birmingham.

He has already been integrated into the first-team fold and interacting with all his team-mates. At the team's hotel, after lunch, he heads back to his room and is given a shout by Halkett who is playing Barrie McKay at pool. They exchange a thumbs-up. Earlier that day at training, he netted an impressive finish on the move with his left foot despite being off balance.

Steven Naismith has preached patience with Musa. He is not going to be rushed. Hearts see a lot of potential in the player and he is someone fans will be keen to see but with several forward options, there is no need to force him into the team sooner than required. Especially with Lawrence Shankland spearheading the attack.

Still, this is a player who is eager to make a mark. Make a mark and also leave a lasting impression.

No player signed this summer has, thankfully, referred to Hearts as a 'stepping stone' but the reality is that if a player does well it opens up the opportunity to move on to bigger and better things. Musa admitted he is "really ambitious" but first and foremost is Hearts and ensuring the fans remember the name. 

"Obviously, Shankland is a top footballer," he said. "To achieve what he achieved is very difficult but we work for this. Nobody knows what can happen in the future."

He added: "I want to make my name here and I want to leave a part of me here. When the moment arrives that I have to go, I want all the fans to remember me with good memories."

For Naismith, Musa offers something different in the Hearts attack. He is the type of forward who fans should enjoy watching and opposition players hate coming up against. 

"I can play in all the attacking positions," he said. "Last season I played right-wing but I can play as a forward, or left-wing or in the middle. I think I am a player who can play many different positions. I prefer to run in behind but I like to run one-against-one too."

To steal and tweak a famous piece of commentary: Remember the name, Musa Drammeh.