Kenneth Vargas won over the Heart of Midlothian fans straight away last season.

Not because he was banging in the goals - they would come - but because he showed the type of attitude and attributes the Tynecastle Park support want to see, namely getting stuck in, being aggressive and making it difficult for the opposition.

It stands to reason that Gerald Taylor will also become someone fans gravitate toward. The club's seventh summer signing, an international team-mate of Vargas', relishes the physical side of the game, engaging with opposition forwards and being aggressive. So much so that Steven Naismith believes he can help the team in that regard.

"He is a defender who likes to defend and he isn't scared to get stuck in," the Hearts head coach explained. "Something I think we can get better at is our aggression. Gerald brings that.

"He is a good height and he can get up and down the pitch. I think he does bring a lot of value."

Taylor was pinpointed as a possible signing in one of the club's recruitment meetings. Work went on behind the scenes to ensure he could be an option this summer as the club set about strengthening the right side of defence.

"It's not pie-in-the-sky or unrealistic," Naismith said. "That's where the player's salary, transfer fee, the structure of the deal, can they get a work permit - all that goes on before then.

"We looked into him and when you watch his videos you see his qualities. The best bits for me are the amount of games he has played, the level he has played at, and then his background.

"He is hungry, desperate to maximise what he is going to do in the game. What we give him is a great opportunity to play in European football, which opens loads of doors for players."

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To Naismith, Taylor "ticks loads of boxes". And it could be argued he arrives at Hearts at a more advanced stage than Vargas did.

As well as 113 games for Deportivo Saprissa he has seven caps for Costa Rica, the latest arriving at the Copa America.

"He is at a good age," Naismith said. "He is past that raw potential stage and now has a bit of credibility behind him because he has played in big games and at big tournaments against some of the best players in the world.

"For the last two years, he has played non-stop. He hasn't had a break because of the Copa America. He's had a robust period and has played a lot. From the medical side of it, touch-wood he hasn't had many injuries and played lots of minutes."

Taylor arrives at Tynecastle Park a winner. He already has several trophies and winners' medals from his time with Saprissa. Dealing with pressure, challenges and demands, internally and externally, is something he will be capable of.

"Can you compare like for like? No, but he has won trophies with them," Naismith said of the move from his homeland to Scotland. "They are the biggest club in Costa Rica. They have a decent fanbase which shows there is a pressure there. I think in Central and South America, the mentality and desire is there that, if it's not going well, you will be told and it will be made known.

"They are all things which fill out your perception of the player. You starting thinking: 'That's a good bit, that's a good bit, that's a good bit.' Before you know it, you give yourself a clear picture.

"I'm excited getting him in."