Scott Fraser believes that moving around several English clubs during his career has helped him mature as a player, and he hopes that knowledge can help Hearts as they approach the business end of the cinch Premiership season.
The Scottish-born player is on loan from English club Charlton Athletic and he still has 12 months of his contract with the London outfit to run, but the 28-year-old midfielder is anxious to make his mark at Tynecastle.
Dundonian Fraser made his debut for the Jambos in his home city as, taking to the pitch after half-time, and helping the Tynecastle team claw their way back from behind to eventually earn three points in a 3-2 victory at Dens Park.
Fraser has experience with several clubs down South – Ipswich Town, Milton Keynes Dons, Burton Albion – before arriving at Charlton. Before that he played for Dundee United and Airdrie.
The player revealed that a mixture of football and family brought him back North of the Border and Fraser said: “I am fortunate to have a daughter of 16 months and being in London is a long way from home.
“I would come home and then nip back to London and little things like that add up. Football wise, it was a chance to come to a club like Hearts and when I knew there was interest I felt I wanted to get the deal done. It is a club who really showed that they wanted me.”
Looking forward, he said Charlton had been good to him but he revealed: “My agent was obviously involved in the talks a lot more than me, but I have a contract at Charlton to see out and, if I need to do that, I will.
“Was I nervous (about the prospect of coming north again)? Absolutely, but I was confident that they (Hearts) wanted the deal done and I wanted the deal done.”
It had been a long week waiting for the contract to be agreed, he confessed, and he revealed: “I had the misses at me every morning asking and my mum and her mum and teammates asking what is happening.
“It was tough. It was going to the gym and running by myself and, when I did get the call, and the deal was done, I was anxious to train with the boys and when the green light came eventually and I was over the moon.”
Fraser knows that he faces tough competition to make the starting line-up but added: “Obviously, Hearts are on a very good run and there are a lot of very good players here.”
The transition has been eased as he arrived in the dressing-room at Gorgie and saw friendly faces, including Liam Boyce, whom he previously played with, and several others who had appeared for opposition teams.
He added: “it does help to have friendly faces in the dressing-room and I had a word with Boycie before I came here. He is somebody I can trust and he had nothing but good things to say about the set-up here.
“However, it is always easier to come into a place where there is somebody who can help you along the road.”
Even though Fraser was playing his football in England, he was an avid watcher of Scottish football and he admitted to watching BBC Sportscene most weekends. He said: “I am familiar with the players here.
“When I spoke to the manager we talked about the system and I felt it would be easy to fit in. I watched the Dundee game and the Aberdeen game (both at Tynecastle) and there were little bits in both games I felt that I could get into pockets and get the ball. I think it will suit me.
“I have grown up now and been on loans and you can take the good bits and bad bits from each. Sometimes environments work for you and sometimes they don’t.”
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