Wouter Vrancken has spoken about an ideal size for this squad, around 26 or 27. Well, Hearts have just added another new player, American striker JJ Williams, creating more competition for a place up-front.
The 28-year-old arrives from USL Championship side Rhode Island FC for an undisclosed fee and has agreed a two-year deal at Tynecastle Park, subject to international clearance and Scottish Football Association (SFA) approval.
A 6ft 4in striker, has logged more than 200 professional appearances in North America, scoring 69 goals and recording 36 assists.
The club’s new No 9 is described as powerful and hard-working, and is said to be adept at bringing his teammates into play deep inside the final third.
New Mexico-born Williams was raised in Alabama, and he broke records for goal contributions during his high school years before scooping numerous accolades playing college soccer.
He was drafted to MLS side Columbus Crew in 2019, making his professional debut that same year, before a move to fellow MLS outfit Atlanta United a year later.
It was in the USL Championship – the second tier of American football – with Brimingham Legion where he began to hit the goal trail, as he did with FC Tulsa and Pheonix Rising before arriving at Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2023.
His season in Florida saw a return of 12 goals and nine assists as JJ helped the Rowdies to a second-place finish in the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference, although they would go on to lose in the play-offs.
Two years ago, he moved to fellow USL Championship side Rhode Island, netting 12 goals and nine assists in his first campaign helping helped RIFC win the Eastern Conference Final. They lost.
To date, the player has scored 30 goals in a Rhode Island shirt and assisted in 13 other strikes in 79 games.
