Hearts boss Robbie Neilson in no doubt Kye Rowles can play Stephen Kingsley role

Robbie Neilson has detailed his vision for summer recruit Kye Rowles as he admitted to having no doubts over his ability to play the Stephen Kingsley role.

The defender arrived as part of the transfer recruitment drive at Tynecastle as Hearts get prepared for a huge season ahead. The former Central Coast Mariners stopper has joined Alan Forest, Lewis Neilson, Alex Cochrane and Jorge Grant in putting pen to paper in the capital. Lawrence Shankland is edging closer to a six-figure move to the club.

Rowles was included in the matchday squad as a trialist against Crawley Town to get a feel for being part of the team. Kingsley, as he often does, was on target in the clash with the English League outfit, with Neilson fond of playing him in the left-sided centre-back role. It gives the 27-year-old the licence to bomb forward while also switching in and out with the left wing-back. Socceroos star Rowles has played all over the left side of the defence, and Neilson is confident he can do the same job and allow him to rotate this season.

Hearts are guaranteed eight European ties on top of domestic matters and face a packed fixture schedule pre World Cup - with rotation going to prove viral to their hopes of replicating the success of last term which seen them finish third behind Celtic and Rangers and reach the Scottish Cup Final.

Speaking to Edinburgh Evening News, he said: “I'm 100 per cent confident Rowles can do the same job.

“He's played left-back before. He's played left wing-back, left centre-half. He's similar to Stephen and it means we can rotate these players in and out. It's very important this year that we have a number of players we can move about into different areas.

“He's a good defender, he's got good athleticism,