Malachi Fagan-Walcott made his debut for Spurs in a 2020 Champions League round of 16 defeat to German cracks, RB Leipzig, becoming Tottenham’s youngest ever Champions League player.
Now, he is hungry for more Euro action and hopes the Jambos head coach, Wouter Vrancken, gives him the nod when Hearts go in against Danish side Nordsjaelland on Thursday at Tynecastle (20.00) in the UEFA Conference League.
The player admitted that European Nights were a highlight of his development and, part of the attraction, is to see if he can make a real impact at that level.
Time will tell, but the 24-year-old has had time to reflect since putting pen to paper for Hearts.
Why? Because Fagan-Walcott suffered an ankle injury against top Austrian combine, Strum Graz, in a Champions League qualifier in mid-July. Now, he is available for selection and the confident London-born player contributed in the 5-0 victory over St Mirren at Tynecastle on Saturday, his first Scottish Premiership game.
A sublime cross-field pass set-up Josh McPake who had work to do before netting the final goal, then he met the media.
Understandably, the defender found it tough watching as his colleagues developed their game in the early part of the season, but he articulated that the club’s head coach, Wouter Vrancken (pictured) had been “brilliant” during his recovery.
He said: “He (Vrancken) wants you to go and play and express yourself. Everybody fights for each other. It is brilliant, and he is unbelievable.”
Having options up-front like James Wilson, Josh McPake and Calvin Miller makes the job easier, he said, and Fagan-Walcott stressed that the understanding among team members is growing game by game.
Hearts, of course, are not his first stopping point in Scottish football. He experienced play North of the Border for the first time on loan to Dundee and then he moved to Wales to join Cardiff City.
Another loan spell, this time at Dunfermline, followed and he made 15 appearances for the East End Park club during the 2023/24 season, scoring three times.
Fagan-Walcott then went back to Cardiff City in the Championship before another loan move, this time to York City who signed him on a permanent contract. He scored eight goals and recorded four assists in 36 appearances as The Minstermen won the National League title.
There he was included in the league’s Team of the Season and nominated for the Young Player of the Year award.
However, Fagan-Walcott received an injury early this year and played through the pain barrier as the club required his services to win the league.
Hearts were made aware of the injury but the Londoner made his debut against Sturm Graz on July 21. The player kept feeling the injury, however, and a decision was taken “to get it sorted”. His words.
Ligament damage and scar tissue was he source of the problem and the player admitted it was difficult to keep his motivation going during his recovery.
He watched games, including the Edinburgh Derby, and that made him even more determined to get amongst the action.
Fagan-Walcott praised his teammates for their assistance in getting him and other long-term injured players back to fitness and now he craves a run in the first team.
