Exclusive:Hearts boss Wouter Vrancken lifts lid on plan for new signings - 'they are in the spotlight'
Aron Benjaminsen and Leart Kabashi will get opportunities at Riccarton
New Hearts signings Aron Benjaminsen and Leart Kabashi will begin challenging for competitive game time at Riccarton once the international break ends. The club’s plan is to push both 18-year-olds in amongst the first-team squad to enhance their development and see if they can break into matchday squads before the end of the year.
Benjaminsen is currently on international duty with the Faroe Islands and made his senior debut last week after earning promotion from his national under-21 squad. Kabashi remained in Edinburgh and played 60 minutes in Hearts’ closed-door friendly win against Dundee last Thursday.
The players have largely been involved with the Hearts youth team since arriving as new signings last month. That was a short-term integration move designed to let them adjust to life in Scotland together. They will now be given opportunities to train with Wouter Vrancken’s senior squad and show the talent which convinced the club to bring them to Tynecastle Park.
Benjamisen is a prodigious young winger who came from the Faroese club Vikingur and has a reputation for scoring goals. Kabashi is a Switzerland Under-19 international midfielder who joined Hearts from Grasshopper Zurich. Both signed four-year contracts and Tynecastle coaches believe they can both develop into real assets.
“They have a lot of potential,” explained Vrancken in an exclusive interview with the Edinburgh News. “Kabashi didn't play too much for the first team at Grasshopper. Benjaminsen is showing himself and Kabashi has shown himself with the second team. The plan after the break is that they come with us and train with us. They will have every session in men's football instead of boys' football. That's good for them to handle speed and decision-making so then they can make their steps forward.
“Benjaminsen and Kabashi can train with us and see the connections already so they know what we want. Whatever we ask, they can connect with the players more naturally. Because of their age, they are making these steps but they are good players so I don't care how old they are. They can play when they are competitive and they show they are better. They will always have these possibilities.”
Breaking into the team will be a challenge for the youngsters given the level of competition within the Hearts squad. Vrancken is spoiled for choice when it comes to wide players on both flanks, so Benjaminsen will likely need to be patient. There is also plenty choice in the advanced central midfield role favoured by Kabashi.
Some established players could be sold on for profit during forthcoming winter and summer transfer windows next year, so the two teenagers are part of a succession plan. Hearts sold Greek winger Alexandros Kyziridis for £1.7m to Turkish club Corum in August and had strong interest in Portuguese forward Claudio Braga.
“We have a lot of players in Benjaminsen's position,” acknowledged Vrancken. “We have Calvin Miller, Josh McPake, Sabah Kerjota, Rogers Mato, and even Sabri Guendouz can play out wide. It's the same for Kabashi in his position. But it's important in these offensive positions that you have quality players there. Like it was with Alexandros Kyziridis - and almost with Claudio Braga - they are in the spotlight so we need quality there.”