Garang Kuol talks about challenges he faces in Scotland before flying off to Australia | OneFootball

Garang Kuol has been talking about life on loan at Hearts.

With only one first team start and seven brief sub appearances so far, many Newcastle United fans expected / hoped for more.

Garang Kuol has only played 198 minutes of football since his January loan move.

However, he certainly appears to have the right attitude and understands what he needs to do to progress his career, with this loan at Hearts just the first step after leaving home in Australia.

He has also joined a club that are in third place, currently four points clear of fourth placed Aberdeen, knowing they need to finish top three to qualify for Europe.

Even if not getting on the pitch, this is all massive valuable experience at his age, Garang Kuol in and around a team / squad competing at a decent level and training every day at a higher level than he is ever experienced before on a regular basis.

Hearts lost 3-0 to Aberdeen at the weekend and Garang Kuol remained on the bench.

Before flying out to join the Australia squad for two friendlies against Ecuador on 24 and 28 March, the 18 year old striker talked to The Daily Record about the challenges he is facing, competing to get on the pitch for Hearts:

“Everyone you play against is here to fight.

“There’s big boys everywhere.

“However, I feel that game by game, I keep adapting to the level of physicality.

“It’s definitely getting better, my physicality.

“I’m tracking my food, my weight every day.

“I’m just trying to stay focused on doing all that stuff because it does make the difference.

“It’s been good to get that experience in.

“Training with the top players every day, with men – I think that’s the key to developing.

“The most important thing is what happens in training and what happens when I get my opportunity on the pitch.

“That’s where all my attention is going.

“I’m just trying to get as much minutes as possible and that’s up to me, what I do.

“Hopefully, I can get some stats up on the board.”

Australia boss Graham Arnold also commented on the striker’s situation last week, having called up the teenage Newcastle United (on loan at Hearts…) striker for this double header against Ecuador:

Graham Arnold:

“Garang Kuol has gone to a league that is a physical competition, the way Scottish football is played.

“It is going to be a learning process for the kid as well.

“For Garang, it’s about hanging in there, working hard and having that strong mentality.

“But this is what a national team camp can do for a young player who is going through a bit of a negative experience at their club.

“Playing for their nation, there’s nothing more proud for him than that.”

Here’s hoping Garang Kuol gets some action with Australia.

Then returns to Scotland and gets the same with Hearts.