Lewis Neilson: A shrewd piece of Hearts business after John Souttar's exit to Rangers

No sooner had Souttar returned his old training kit and driven off to begin his Rangers career than another United youth graduate strolled in. Neilson is still a teenager and shouldn’t be considered a direct replacement for a seasoned 25-year-old internationalist, but Hearts will understandably see similar potential in their new recruit.

Souttar was a 19-year-old right-sided centre-back signed by Hearts manager Robbie Neilson from Dundee United in 2016. He developed into a mainstay, a Scotland cap and all-round colossus over six-and-a-half subsequent years.

Neilson is another 19-year-old right-sided centre-back signed by the same Hearts manager from the same Tayside breeding ground. He and Souttar are different players but the Edinburgh club’s ambitions for them will be comparable: Same age, same position, similar profile, same developing club – same outcome?

No-one in Gorgie wants to see Neilson saunter off to a rival club for free in a few years but, right now, hope is that his career progress rate can mirror Souttar’s. Anyone who watched him regularly on Tayside would agree he possesses enough attributes to thrive in a maroon shirt.

It was the former United manager Micky Mellon who granted Neilson a senior debut on the opening day of the 2020/21 Premiership campaign. Just a few weeks earlier, Robbie Neilson had left Tannadice to return to Hearts and Mellon was invited to pick up the reins.

He immediately identified the young Neilson, then 17, as a defender mature enough and capable enough to play in the top flight. His departure for Hearts on a free transfer will be as keenly felt at United is it is welcomed in Edinburgh.

“It’s a huge disappointment for Dundee United, I’ve got to say that, because he was really highly