DONIS’ CRAZY YEARS
Nomad Donis hopes he has finally found home sweet home at Tynie
NEW Hearts signing Donis Avdijaj believes his “crazy” past few years in football will prepare him for their relegation battle.
The Kosovan international striker became Daniel Stendel’s first signing as manager this week after penning a deal until the end of the season.
The new man arrives with a good reputation on the pitch, having come through the ranks at Schalke, where he was being tracked by the likes of Liverpool as a youngster and reportedly had a £41m release clause in his contract.
However, six clubs in six years shows he failed to live up to that early hype and why the Scottish Premiership’s bottom club have been able to get a player of such obvious talent.
After being sent out on loan to Sturm Graz in Austria and Roda in Holland while at the German giants, Avdijaj struck out on his own at Willem only for his contract to be terminated due to an apparent inability to get himself fit enough.
It was a similar tale with previous club Trabzonspor. The Turkish outfit had initially signed the 23-year-old on a deal until the end of this season, with the option of a further three if things went well.
They evidently didn’t, with the forward again seeing his contract ended early, which allowed him to become a Jambo at the start of this week.
It’s been a nomadic existence for the former Germany youth international but he doesn’t necessarily see that as a bad thing.
He said: “Some people might question it because I’ve now had six teams in three years but I would say it has been a crazy experience and I learned a lot.
“In most of the teams I had a good time. I’ve played now in five countries and I can speak five languages. I’ve had different foods, different people, different cultures, different stadiums, different fans.
“For 23 years old that is not a bad experience. I’ve experienced lots of different types of football and I’ve scored in every country I’ve played in. This mix can help me for my next games at Hearts.
“I’m looking forward to showing myself and I hope I can find my best form as fast as I can.”
Avdijaj comes across as a polite and
BY ROSS PILCHER engaging guy off the park. However, he assures Hearts fans he’s a different animal on the pitch where he’ll wear the number 99 on his back in honour of his younger brother and the year he was born.
He added: “Out of the football field I am the guy you see now. I’m a little bit nice to everyone, I’m a little bit shy.
“But on the field you will see a change in me, fast. I’m a very aggressive player, a very technical player and a very emotional player.
“It’s a mix the fans will like. In home games I like to lift the fans. I will give emotion and heart.
While Stendel’s influence was key in persuading Avdijaj to sign, the player himself got good vibes from Hearts as a club and Scotland as a country.
That it offers a potential route to the riches and profile of England won’t have hurt either.
He added: “Scottish football is like a brother to English football.
“I saw a lot of games and I like the emotions in the games and I like the fans who all like football and the Scottish people are really behind their sport.
“I like the way they like their football here.”
There’s also the carrot of regaining his place in the Kosovan national team in time for their Euro 2020 play-off with North Macedonia.
He hasn’t featured for his country in more than a year but admitted reaching a major finals with UEFA’s newest nation would be massive.
He said: “I played a lot of games for the team and I want to go back to the national team but first it’s important to play for my club.
“I don’t want to waste time, I am here to do something with this club in the next six months.
“I chose Kosovo the way I made this decision now (to come to Hearts). I don’t want to be somewhere only because I’m really, really good.
“I want to be somewhere where they know I am good and I have the people behind me.
“Kosovo is like that. It’s the home country of my parents, I speak the language perfectly and I listen to the music and eat its food.
“It was easy for me to choose my national team. “Kosovo has a big chance to go to the Euros. The quality of the team is big and I hope the country can make history.”