As each transfer window goes by at Heart of Midlothian, supporters find themselves yearning for a particular player to fulfill a particular role. A role they grew to love in the '90s and 2000s. A role where two Scottish Cup winners thrived and became fan favourites. Legends.

Paul Hartley and Colin Cameron. Box-breaking, goal-scoring midfielders.

Take a trip to Ainslie Park on Friday night as Hearts B kick off their Lowland League season against East Stirlingshire and you might get a glimpse of a player from within who possesses the potential to become that player for the first-team. In time.

Some within the Hearts support will already be aware of Callum Sandilands. The 18-year-old was an unused sub for the first-team last season on a few occasions. He was on the bench for the friendly against Tottenham Hotspur and featured against Burnley at the weekend when Hearts played two 75-minute friendlies.

But it's what he did for the B team last season that should make fans' eyes light up. Sixteen goals and a fair few assists that led him to win the B team Player of the Year award at the club's end-of-season award dinner.

It followed a 13-goal campaign the season previous. What should be noted is that he has played different roles in the last two years. He's played wide, he's played quite advanced through the middle but he's also developed as an all-action midfield player. And it could be this coming season when his midfield role as a No.8 is nailed down.

Sandilands, who is now in his second spell with Hearts after returning from a stint at Rangers, has made great strides since re-joining the club. Hearts Standard spoke to both Steven Naismith and Liam Fox this summer about his quality and his potential. Both are aware of the attributes he possesses. Attributes that they will look to harness and refine. 

"He is somebody we have worked closely with and Callum is somebody who has had to work really, really hard," Naismith said. "He came in and adapted to the squad really well. He is somebody who lives football. It’s the biggest thing he thinks about, he watches a lot of football. He is interested in football, it is not just a job to him.

"I think he has grown a lot over the last two years. When I first took over the 18s he didn’t play every week at that level. He had to show that he was consistent enough. He has done that and he has become a bit of a leader in the B team group.

"Being on the bench last season was for no other reason than he deserved it. Unfortunately, he never made it onto the pitch but he is somebody who trains with the first-team a lot. He came away for pre-season in our camp last summer. His development over the year has been really good. He is someone else we expect to come back and push on and take the opportunities that are given to him."

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Both Fox and Naismith spoke in glowing terms about the player's physical qualities. This summer he stood out for his fitness work, recording impressive results in the tests following the off-season.

Sandilands, who is already a popular figure with the first-team squad, has an awareness that he needs to be athletic, certainly with the way football is being played. He's trained with the Pro Performance Academy which works with professional footballers delivering tailored sessions and is run by former Hearts midfielder Callum Tapping and Blair Munn.

That work has been reflected across the past two campaigns where the teenager has put in a power of running, often covering upward of 11km from the centre of the pitch.

"Callum is probably the epitome of coming in and doing your absolute best every single day," Fox explained. "Has improved his physical stats, running power, running distances, gym work. He has improved technically as well."

But it's his innate understanding of football that helps him stand out. An awareness of the game or a particular moment is evolving ensures he can get into the right place at the right time. Naismith believes they are qualities, "a natural instinct for being in the right areas, scoring goals, making good runs", that are not easily replicated and not many in the academy have. 

His ability to get in the box can be seen through his output last season as Fox noted.

Callum Sandilands won the Hearts B Team Player of the Year award. (Image: Mark Scates - SNS Group)

"Last year, just through circumstances he maybe moved about a bit more," he said. "I just think he has a really good ability to get about the pitch and get into the box. The way we have been playing he’s given the licence to do that and do what he is good at, getting in the box and scoring goals. He presses really well. He’s got a really good understanding of where to be and when to be.

"Because of the type of kid he is, if he had to play wide for a wee bit, play up top for a wee bit, he would absolutely do that no problem. That is a good skill set to have, the flexibility to do different things. We’ve seen the best of him as a midfielder who has the freedom to go box to box."

There are, of course, areas of his game that requires attention and will continue to be worked on. As he did when Naismith pointed out a previous inclination to slow down when going into challenges. He was given the understanding of not only the need to commit but the aesthetics of it not looking good for him.

Now, an area to improve is decision making, something that is naturally developed with more experience, and collecting possession in deeper areas. Progress on both fronts will only aid Sandilands when trying to force his way into Naismith's plans.

"He still has things he needs to work on," Fox explained. "His decision making every now and then deeper in the pitch. His technical ability in receiving and turning under pressure, these are things Callum still needs to work on.

"I definitely feel he has progressed. It’s up to him to come back and try and force his way in or more regularly training with the manager and hopefully push himself into the first-team matchday squad."

If Sandilands continues on the trajectory he is on currently, he is a name more and more fans will become familiar with.