Hearts line up friendly as preparations step up

HEARTS will ramp up their preparations for the new Premiership season with a pre-season friendly against Crawley Town.

The Tynecastle club, who are offering free entry to under-13s for the match on July 16, have added the fourth game against English opposition as they bid to ready players for the domestic season and European campaign.

Manager Robbie Neilson is fully aware of the challenges his side will face in a hectic fixture list after securing guaranteed group stage football on the continent by finishing third in the top flight last term.

He is eager to recreate the intensity of that schedule as much as possible during pre-season preparations that feature five outings between now and the Premiership opener against Ross County on July 30.

After tomorrow’s meeting with Bonnyrigg Rose, Hearts travel to face Tranmere Rovers next Wednesday before hosting Crawley the following Saturday and then playing Preston North End away the next Wednesday and Stoke City at home in Gary Locke’s testimonial on July 23.

Meanwhile, Neilson insists he is comfortable with his recruitment ahead of the new season and is willing to wait as long is required for “quality” signings, with former Everton loanee Ellis Simms, Scotland cap Lawrence Shankland and Wolves midfielder Connor Ronan high on his list. But, with major doubts over his chances of all three, is willing to play ‘the long game’.

So far, he has snapped up Alan Forrest, Kye Rowles, Jorge Grant and Lewis Neilson.

He said: “The most important thing is bringing quality in. If it takes a week or it takes four weeks it doesn’t matter.

“We’ve got a long season ahead and a lot of games ahead. We’ve got to bring quality into the group.

“I don’t really care when they come in, as long as they are good players. If it is the first of August or the 31st, it doesn’t matter.”