Aaron Hickey: Brentford's New Signing

At the end of the season, you see most clubs give opportunities to youngsters, most of the time it is a small chance to make a memory of playing first-team football for the club they have grown up at. That was the same for Hearts who at the end of the 18/19 season gave a plethora of youngster’s sub appearances and the chance to show their worth.

One of those was left back Aaron Hickey, a top prospect at the club whom mummers of a new star talent had been round the walls of the Edinburgh club for some time. Hickey would impress and manager Robbie Neilson immediately brought him for the Scottish Cup final against Celtic at the end of the season. At 16, Hickey was in the starting lineup for the showcase cup tie against Celtic.

He would face up to that season's Player of the Year, the Hoops' right-winger James Forrest. Hickey was superb in his side's 2-1 defeat; James Forrest had a quiet game and it seemed like the youngster had put the best player in Scotland that year in his back pocket. Already, the noise was made that Hearts had a wonderkid on their hands and he wouldn’t be there long.

So much so, Hickey was pushed straight in as a full-time first-team player for the next campaign. At no point did he look out of place or new, and his drive and energy to get forward was immediately noticeable; he was good on the ball and calm in possession, the raw ability of something special evident.