Mole aims to dig his way into Hearts team

JAMIE MOLE has just one target this season – and it's nothing to do with how many times he's hoping to hit the back of the net.

The young frontman is simply desperate to secure himself a regular starting place in the Hearts first team under new manager Csaba Laszlo.

Mole, who spent the first half of last season on loan at Queen of the South and four months of the previous campaign with Livingston, would love to be given the chance to prove he can make the grade at Tynecastle.

And he's hoping that he will be afforded the opportunity to impress his new boss by being included in the squad which travels to Germany this weekend for the club's ten-day training camp in the town of Wiesbaden, near Frankfurt.

Mole was used as a half-time substitute in the 1-0 friendly defeat to Dunfermline on Wednesday night and offered the team some of the sparkle which had been lacking in the opening 45 minutes. Chances were few and far between at East End Park but the frontman, who is still only 20 years old, gave the Pars plenty to think about as he took on defenders and almost carved out a late equaliser for the Gorgie men.

The striker has had to bide his time on the sidelines at Tynecastle, despite starting in away European matches against AEK Athens and Sparta Prague two years ago while racking up an impressive goal tally in the reserves.

But, with every player starting from scratch again under Laszlo, the Newcastle-born youngster is keeping his fingers crossed that his next opportunity might be just around the corner.

Hearts are due to take on Rheingau-Auswahl, Kaiserslauten and SV Wehen Wiesbaden during their stay in Germany and Mole would love to be involved.

He said: "Hopefully I will be part of the squad which goes out to Germany but I will just have to wait and see. I will keep working hard, that's all I can do.

"I went through the same thing last year, with people asking me if I was hoping to be included in the pre-season trips and it's the same again this time around, but all you can do is get your head down, work away and hope that you've done enough to get a place in the squad.

"I'd love to be more involved with the first-team squad – but so would lots of other players at the club. If you asked them they would all say the same thing, you always want to be playing at the highest level that you possibly can.

"I've just got to carry on where I left off at the end of the season and scoring goals for the reserves. I scored something like five goals in six games and I was pleased with that. I've got to make sure I produce more of the same. I was in Germany last year and it would be great to get the chance to go out there again this year because it's a great chance with the new manager in place.

"I think there are three games set up in Germany this time and hopefully I can be involved in them in some way and maybe even score a couple of goals and push myself into the new manager's plans."

While Laszlo is staying tight-lipped over the number of players he is hoping to bring in – and, indeed, those who will be leaving Gorgie over the coming weeks – the former Ferencvaros manager is likely to make signing a new striker one of his priorities.

The club has seen Roman Bednar, Andrius Velicka and Michal Pospisil head for pastures new since the start of last season and now have limited options at the top end of the park.

While Mole admits that he would relish the added competition for a place, he's hoping that he can convince Laszlo that he maybe already has players on the books at Tynecastle who are capable of filling the void left by the previously-named trio.

Mole laughed: "Hopefully he won't bring anyone in before the start of the season from my point of view!

"But, seriously, everyone knows that he will want to go out and strengthen his squad for the new season and every player will tell you that competition for places only raises the level and is good for the team.

"Obviously, from my point of view, I am trying to get a place in the team but if the new manager brings someone else in then it can only be good for us and I am sure he knows who he wants to go for."

Having been farmed out to both Queens and Livingston over the the past couple of seasons, Mole's priority is to ensure that he remains at Tynecastle for the duration of the new season.

He admits he has learned from both of his spells with the First Division clubs and, unlike Calum Elliot, Mole claims it hasn't affected his confidence.

But the Geordie hitman revealed his ultimate aim is to stay put and forge a long-term career with his current employers.

He said: "Wherever you go you have got to try to settle in and make new friends, get used to new team-mates but it's not been that bad for me. I've enjoyed my loan spells but every time that I have come back to Hearts I feel that I have just fitted back in and I know that I have got a good group of mates to come back to as well.

"I definitely want to stay here. If I am picked to go to Germany, then I have got to make the most of it and make sure that I take any chances that I am given.

"Hopefully the season will start well for me."

Laszlo feels that he is already starting to see the fruits of what will be a long process of bringing the players to the levels that he wants – and confidence levels are one of the areas which he admits he will have to work on after a recent history of turmoil.

"The new manager has come in and made a good impression, he seems to have been able to get his message across to the players as to what he want from them and what he needs in terms of shape out on the pitch.

"He's only been here for a few days but the signs are all good, so hopefully he can do well for the club.

"Training has been good, I haven't found it too different, and there has been a good atmosphere about the place.

"Everyone talks about the team spirit but I don't really get too involved in that, for me it's all about making sure that my game is right and that my game is going well.

"My confidence has always been okay. I know what I have got to do and that's what I'll be focusing on over the next few weeks.

"The only target that I am going to set myself is to get into the first team and try to do enough to secure a regular spot once I am in there."

Hearts lost out to the Pars on Wednesday night as Christophe Berra took the captain's armband for the first time under Laszlo.

The new manager has confirmed that he wants Berra as his skipper this season and Mole was pleased for his team-mate, although he admitted that the squad as a whole still have some way to go before they are ready for their assault on the SPL.

"I'm pleased for Christophe, everyone knows what a good player he is. There have maybe been a few people who have asked if he is old enough, but he has done well for the club and all of the players respect him.

"It was good to be back out there and playing football again. We're still at a very early stage in our pre-season but I felt that we played much better in the second half against Dunfermline.

"We looked more comfortable on the ball and we passed it around a lot better as well. I think that side of things will continue to improve with every game that we play."