When the Heart of Midlothian squad wandered onto the Highbury pitch ahead of their pre-season friendly with Fleetwood Town on Saturday afternoon there was one member who was instantly recognisable but, curiously, an unknown at the same time. A fresh new face.

He stood alongside Lewis Neilson. That's a lie, he actually towered over the defender who himself is a big lad. Following a quick inquiry, it turned out to be Alfie Osborne and his 6ft4in frame made him stand out.

It has been quite the month for Osborne, who is a "massive Jambo". He turned 16 at the start of July, signed his professional contract with the club and was part of the first-team squad for the friendly with Fleetwood Town.

He is highly-rated at Hearts having progressed from the foundation level at the club and attended the performance school at Balerno. The signing of a two-year deal, along with nine others to pen their first professional contracts with the club, is something of a boost with the teenager having attracted admiring glances from south of the border.

"[He] can play centre-half or centre-mid," Steven Naismith said. "As you can see, the size of his presence, he's got good feet for somebody so big and young.

"He's got a great attitude but I must say a lot of the boys who have come in full-time this year have got that attitude, a drive and a determination which is a good sign for us."

While Osborne will predominantly play with the under-18s and B team this season, he has trained with the first-team several times going back to last season and this was the next step with regard to the experience of what it is like being a Hearts player.

It was felt by Naismith that the younger players who had established themselves in the first-team, namely Macaulay Tait, Finlay Pollock and James Wilson, were better served getting competitive minutes with the B team as they kicked off their Lowland League campaign with a 4-1 win over East Stirlingshire on Friday night. 

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"There are quite a few young players that probably could have had the opportunity but I think a bit of circumstance and he's done well when he's been around the first-team," Naismith explained.

"I thought for the three boys who played with the B team it was more important they played as many minutes as they did. Then you have [Callum] Sandilands who has been really good for the last six months and you have got another couple who have been doing well like Bobby [Mcluckie] but again it is really important they play minutes rather than coming down here.

"They've experienced being around the first-team, being to games and understanding what it is about. I think it was a balance there but it gives Alfie an opportunity to see what he can be involved in if he keeps progressing."