Michael McGovern says glowing recommendations from current and former teammates helped seal his transfer to Tynecastle.
The Northern Irish stopper revealed that rave reviews from countryman Liam Boyce, and former Hearts defender Aaron Hughes, helped make his decision to call Gorgie home a straightforward one.
39-year-old Michael arrives in the capital off the back of a hugely successful spell at Norwich City, and is already looking forward to getting stuck into life as a Hearts player.
“I’m delighted. Hearts are a massive club, I’m excited to be here and looking forward to getting started,” he told Hearts TV.
“It’s pleasing to be back because I loved my time in Scottish football. I loved the passion that the fans have and I’m looking forward to getting back into it, being in front of crowds and enjoying the atmosphere.
“I played with Naisy at Norwich and worked with both Frankie and Joe at Hamilton and Norwich. There are a lot of familiar faces and once the opportunity to come here came about, I was desperate to be a part of it.
“I want to be involved at a big club in Scotland. Hearts are among the biggest and it’s not something I could turn down. I spoke to Boycie the other day and had a chat with Aaron Hughes, who I still speak to now and again. They spoke really highly of the club. Hopefully I can contribute and be one of those players people speak about in the future.”
Michael’s arrival strengthens the goalkeeping department considerably, slotting in beside Zander Clark, and Craig Gordon as he steps up his recovery from injury. McGovern says he’ll be looking to stake a claim for the jersey but will happily cheer on whoever gets the nod between the posts"
“It’s a really good group,” he explained.
“Craig’s making his way back from injury, and he did really well last season – playing fantastically. I’ll be pushing them both, trying to get into the team, because I’m wanting to play. Even if I’m not, I want to be supporting whoever is playing and trying to be a positive member of the group. That’s the way I do things.”
With the league campaign drawing closer, and the draw for our European qualifers on the horizon, there’s plenty for Michael to look forward to. Among it all, the stopper admits that getting to sample the Tynecastle atmosphere again is right up there.
“I’m really excited by the challenge and looking forward to seeing who we get in the draw,” he smiled.
“It’ll be great to be part of a team that’s in Europe – hopefully we can get through and take part in the group stages. It’s exciting times and I’m looking forward to it.
“Tynecastle has one of the best atmospheres in the whole country, if not the best. I’ve been to Tynecastle as a supporter, as a player, and it’s unbelievable when it’s rocking.
"A number of people I’ve spoken to down south have talked about how good the Hearts support is. Hopefully we can get some success, get the fans cheering, and make everybody happy.”
