Kye Rowles has backed Garang Kuol to break his Hearts duck after the teenager bagged his first Australia goal. Kuol tapped home to seal a homecoming win over Ecuador in Sydney after Jackson Irvine and Awer Mabil had put the Socceroos 2-1 up against the South Americans.
Boss Graham Arnold included Kuol in his squad to give him a boost after finding game time hard to come by at Tynecastle. The on-loan Newcastle United kid has started just twice in maroon since making the switch from Tyneside.
That has caused some Australian commentators to question the wisdom of signing for the capital club as Robbie Neilson acclimatises him gradually to the Scottish game.
But Rowles has explained why the uncompromising nature of the game over here means Hearts have to be careful with Kuol. He’s also urged patience, recalling his own journey to first team football that took longer than a few weeks. "You don't really get to walk into teams, unfortunately," he said. "It's probably what you want but sometimes it just doesn't go that way.