Inside the Hearts dressing room before Edinburgh derby as Oz Hibs contingent connection stops short of WhatsApp group

Hearts midfielder Calem Nieuwenhof insists Edinburgh and Aussie derby bragging rights are at stake when Hibs visit Tynecastle today.

Nieuwenhof bolstered the capital’s growing Australian contingent during the summer when he made the move from Western Sydney Wanderers. He joined a Hearts squad that had fellow countrymen Cammy Devlin, Kye Rowles and Nathaniel Atkinson already bedded in. He said: “There’s heaps of Aussies in both teams so I’m sure that will just add to it. I know a few of the boys over in that team and I’ve played with a couple.

Across the city’s fierce footballing divide, Australian Lewis Miller and Socceroo Martin Boyle ply their trade, while Nieuwenhof used to be a team-mate of Adam Le Fondre at Sydney FC. And the 22-year-old admits the connections with back home mean that it is more than just three points up for grabs.

“I played with Adam Le Fondre back in Sydney and also Lewis Miller growing up, played with him. Myself and Lewis are kind of from the same area back in Australia, he was an age group above me but we’ve always been in and around the same sort of teams so I know him quite well.

“We’re not so much in a WhatsApp group together. Normally both of us keep pretty much to ourselves, the Hearts boys keep a bit to themselves and Hibs boys keep to themselves as well.

"I know we’re all just going to go out there and put our best foot forward and try to win the games for our teams.”

Although Nieuwenhof is new to the Edinburgh derby experience, he has a good idea of what to expect from new Hibs boss Nick Montgomery after going up against his Central Coast Mariners team in the A-League.

He added: “I know back in Australia he did a really great job with the Mariners and the team he created was a really