Eva Olid full of praise for Hearts’ recruitment team

Over the course of the summer, Hearts have brought nine players into the club as they look to build on last season’s successful campaign. Additions have come from all over the globe with some making their trade in England and Scotland last season while others had been in Germany and the USA. Yet, despite the different experiences each player will have undertaken previously, each one has seemingly settled into the Hearts camp with ease much to the delight of Olid.

“Each season we have more experience in terms of recruitment,” Olid told the Edinburgh Evening News. “Every year we have a more clear vision of the profile of players that we need for our squad and how we want to play. This time, we were more specific with the players that we wanted and for that, we are more happy with the new players.

“The players have adapted so quickly which has been a surprise as they normally need a few weeks. We went down to a training camp more to try and integrate the players than for the footballing aspects. This year before we went to the camp, the players were already integrated, feeling really good and had already created relationships it was great.

“It is a credit to our recruitment because we are not just looking for good players, we are looking for good personalities too. Before we sign a player we always reference if a player is going to be positive in the changing room, good for the team – we don’t want toxic players. They could be the best players in the world but if they are toxic, we don’t want them.”

The quality of the signings coming into the club has been seen as a statement of intent by many fans as Hearts continue to pursue the top three. Additions such as former Scottish Youth Player of the Year Carly Girasoli and former Hibee Katie Lockwood have been seen as real coups while Dundee United’s all-time top scorer Danni McGinley could easily take the Jam Tarts to the next level. However, with other teams also improving throughout the league, Olid believes it’s too early to suggest Hearts might break into the top three barrier.

“It is difficult at the moment to say where we will be because you know more when you have started the competition and finished the first round of fixtures,” she explained. “That is when you can see whereabouts you are, but for now, that is difficult. It is true that we feel more prepared compared to last season in terms of training, preparation and mental.

“You look at last season when we were fourth and now, we feel so much more prepared and you wonder what we can do. However, we don’t like saying things like we will be top three and things like that because we want to start playing and from there, we can see where we are.”