NEW Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo has moved quickly to tie up the club's promising talent by handing teenage history-maker Scott Robinson a three-year professional contract.
In April, the striker became Hearts' youngest first-team player when he made his debut as a late substitute in a 1-0 win against Inverness. Aged just 16 years, one month and 14 days, Robinson eclipsed former club record-holder Alan Redpath in 1983 an
d also became the youngest to feature in the SPL.
A first professional contract at Tynecastle was mooted once the highly-rated forward left school, and he has now put pen to paper to commit his future to Hearts until 2011.
Football Academy director John Murray said: "He is a hungry player and we have high hopes for him. Scott did well for the under-19s last season and this contract gives him the opportunity to develop further. If he knuckles down, hopefully there will be more first-team chances for him in the future."
Hearts captain Christophe Berra, who has been linked with Wolves, missed Laszlo's first game in charge at Glentoran last night due to an ankle injury.
The Scotland international twisted his ankle in training on Friday, but the problem is not thought to be serious and he is expected to feature at Dunfermline tomorrow evening.
Elsewhere, Bosnian winger Mirsad Beslija is thought to have suffered more injury misery.
Hearts' record signing, bidding to revive his career in Scotland after a season-long loan at Belgian club, Sint-Truiden, faces an absence of up to six weeks after sustaining knee ligament damage in training.
Hearts have sent Beslija for scans and have been told not to expect him to be fit again before September. He injured his right knee during a non-contact training exercise at Riccarton, leaving him on crutches.
Meanwhile, Laszlo expects to receive a visit from majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov once he returns to Edinburgh. "I know that, as soon as possible, he will come to the city and we will speak. That will probably be later this week some time," he said.
The full article contains 357 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
