UGANDAN internationalist David Obua has revealed that he had his heart set on a move to Tynecastle from the moment Csaba Laszlo was appointed as manager of the Gorgie side.
The former Kasier Chiefs star was finally given the green light to begin his career in Scotland this week when he was granted a work permit having signed a four-year deal with the Jambos.
The versatile player, who can operate at left back, left mi
dfield or behind the strikers, first joined up with Hearts on their pre-season tour of Germany where, despite picking up an injury, he impressed.
Laszlo, of course, already knew the talented 24-year-old from his time as Ugandan national boss where he spent two years grooming Obua into one of Africa's most exciting young talents.
Both West Ham and Italian side Chievo were interested in securing Obua's signature and had offers on the table but, from the moment the player heard of his mentor's appointment in Edinburgh, he hoped to follow him to Hearts.
"When Csaba was appointed I had an idea and I had a clue about coming here. We spoke and I definitely had a clue," he said.
"It was an experience going to West Ham and going from South Africa to there was very different. On my first day's training I did well but things did not work out the way they were supposed to and I had to choose between there and Hearts and I opted for here.
"The manager knew me much better and I was confident he would get the best out of me.
"It wasn't a hard decision because I only really had one goal and that was to play for Csaba. He has got the best out of me in the past and I've been with him for more than two years now.
"In every game I've played for him I've played with my heart. For me that is the most important thing.
"If you are comfortable playing for him then that is important."
While Obua was familiar with Laszlo's style of management having experienced it first hand as Uganda rocketed up FIFA's world rankings, he conceded that he didn't know too much about the history of his new employers.
However, he revealed that after a few minutes of searching on the internet he liked what he uncovered and was in no doubt about where he wanted to play his football.
"I didn't know too much so I had to google the club," he laughed.
"I'm happy to be here and I can see it's a big franchise. I'm gad I'm here to be part of it. I looked up information on Edinburgh too and I saw that they had a big festival.
"I know that the club has an excellent tradition but that the fans can sometimes be a little bit tough on the players if they aren't doing well.
"But as a player you should come to expect that. That's sport and, if you are in this business, you have to realise the fans are going to nail you and learn to deal with it.
"I've played in front of 40-50,000 fans in South Africa so I'm used to pressure. I'm not really bothered about the pressure at all."
Although Obua was able to resist the lure of the English Premier League for the time being he conceded that he is an ambitious individual and dreams of one day playing at the highest level in Europe.
And while he admitted that one day he would like to move south of the border to try his luck in one of the best leagues in the world, his first target is to help Hearts qualify for European competition
"As an individual I wish we were playing in the UEFA Cup or the Champions League and, hopefully, my team-mates will have the same mentality as me and will want to achieve that," he said.
"They are my goals for Hearts and I will fight so hard to achieve that. It may take me time to adapt as I know it is physical and a little bit faster but I'm willing to learn and to adapt.
"Slowly but surely I want to improve. I'm here just now and I have a coach who is going to help me develop and then go on to something bigger. If I'd gone straight away it may have taken time to adjust. Every footballer's dream is to play in the Premiership and of course I look forward to that one day. With hard work you ultimately get where you want to get to. At the moment though I am very happy at Hearts."
Hearts fans could catch their first glimpse of the highly-rated Obua in action this weekend when St Mirren travel to Tynecastle for the third game of the new SPL campaign. An injury picked up over the course of pre-season means Obua is unlikely to start that game or even be at his best for a number of weeks, yet he revealed he can't wait to pull on a maroon jersey in a competitive clash.
"I love what I do so I play with passion. I play with my heart and I hope the supporters can see that," he said.
"I cannot wait to meet the fans and go on the pitch with my team-mates. I did not do too well in pre-season with an injury but I have to work now and work on my match fitness. I'll be okay soon. If I am selected on Saturday then I am going to be there and in the thick of things."
The full article contains 954 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
