Hearts make cosy financial gain on Australia World Cup qualification - but benefits don't just stop there

The financial boost to Hearts offered by Australia’s qualification into this winter’s World Cup in Qatar has been highlighted and will have been celebrated by those monitoring the budget at the Gorgie club.

With the possibility of three players being included in Graham Arnold’s squad for that festival of football, the capital side are looking at a six-figure windfall.

But the leg-up it provides to the club's reputation as employers of players operating in that realm will be just as vaunted.

It is 1998 since the Tynecastle side enjoyed seeing one of their players turn out at a World Cup. That was when David Weir was part of the Scotland squad in France. Beyond that, it was 1990 when Dave McPherson and Craig Levein earned their dues among the world’s best.

But while ex-players like Ryan McGowan and Mauricio Pinilla went on to feature for Australia and Chile in those global finals, it has been a long wait for the Jambos to see one of their own set off for the biggest show on earth.

The ambition to be recognised as an outfit international operators seek out was laid out by manager Robbie Neilson earlier this year as he hailed Nathaniel Atkinson’s inclusion in the Socceroo ranks.

The young right-back joined captain Craig Gordon and John Souttar – who both shone for Scotland in their ultimately fruitless push for an invite to Qatar – on the international stage.

While Liam Boyce and Michael Smith have already accumulated a wealth of international experience, others such as Aussie midfielder Cammy Devlin and Scottish defenders Craig Halkett and Stephen Kingsley have been touted for greater honours.

“Hearts should be a team with international players as the majority of the starting line-up, whether that's for Scotland or