Beau Reus got a call from his agent when he was on Scheveningen beach near The Hague in his native Netherlands with his girlfriend for her birthday. They spent the rest of the day “trying to enjoy” but also researching Hearts.
Not long after the towering Dutchman put pen to paper for Hearts and could make his debut at Pittodrie on Saturday (kick-off 17.30). The game is a Sky Sports Main Event.
He was the man in the media spotlight at Hearts’ pre-match briefing at The Oriam and the goalkeeper is well aware of his predecessors.
The 24-year-old is also aware of the stature of his current manager, Belgian-born, Wouter Vrancken.
That is because Reus spent the last four years in Belgium as the No 1 hot-stop at Beveren, East Flanders.
They play in the Challenger Pro League. The second highest division in Belgian football.
He has done his research on Heart of Midlothian FC and knows about the history of one of Scotland’s leading clubs. A far cry then from where he has emanated from and with the prospect of playing in Lisbon against Benfica in the Europa League on Thursday.
It’s a massive game, he said, but that is in the future and Reus is excited by the challenges which lie ahead. He also admitted that his team-mates are down after crashing out of the Champions League with a 6-0 aggregate deficit to Sturm Graz in midweek.
He agreed that tomorrow, with the up-coming William Hill Premiership fixture in the Granite City, is another day, the main focus for the club ambitious club.
The goalkeeper, who measures 1.98m (just over 6ft 4in), has enjoyed a brief chat with Hearts legendary goalkeeper, Craig Gordon, since he arrived in Edinburgh.
Now, he must get to know about the rigours of Scottish football and he travels north with the team to face a club with a strong recent record against the Men in Maroon.
He admitted that other clubs expressed interest before he signed for the Scots but he said: “The way Hearts came to us, explained everything, it was so clear and we had good meetings. It was an OK decision to come here.”
The former youth star said Hearts near miss in the Premiership was “a living story” in the Dutch media last season and, touching on the goalkeepers who have played for the club, he said that if you play in that position and are going somewhere you always look to the past.
So many big names have been at Hearts, he added, and “the biggest of all is” Gordon. Reus said: “It was an honour to meet him.”
The Dutchman has the No 1 goalkeeper jersey at Hearts and he said: “The most important thing is that I am here and I grow in my development as a person but also as a goalkeeper. This is the right time to go somewhere else.
“The No 1 jersey is a big prize and I have big gloves to fill. It is a big honour, the No 1 jersey.”
MEDIA DUTY: Beau Reus at the press briefing. Picture Nigel Duncan
