Robbie Neilson has expressed his desire to keep reported Celtic, Crystal Palace and Everton target Aaron Hickey at Hearts, describing the left-back as a ‘huge asset’ in conversation with Edinburgh Live.
When the Edinburgh giants were relegated from the Scottish Premiership in controversial circumstances, the Tynecastle faithful must have thought they had seen the last of this rampaging wideman.
At the age of just 18, Hickey continues to be linked with clubs on both sides of the border after exploding onto the scene over the last two years.
According to The Sun last month, Celtic are still very much at the front of the queue to re-sign a player they released when Kieran Tierney was still racing down the wing at Parkhead.
The Mail, meanwhile, reports that Hickey is also a target for a host of Premier League clubs, including Everton, Crystal Palace, Southampton and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
So to say Neilson has a mountain to climb would probably be an understatement.
A better metaphor would include something along the lines of traversing snowy Everest in nought but your socks.
“Aaron is going to be a huge asset to the football club and it’s important that no matter what division we’re in, we have to keep our best players and Aaron is definitely in that category,” says Neilson, who took the Hearts job after leading Dundee United to promotion.
While Crystal Palace have made no secret of their desire to reduce the average age of Roy Hodgson’s crumbling squad, Everton too have been on the lookout for some of Britain’s best young talents with Jarrad Branthwaite already joining from Carlisle United this year.
Though who could blame Hickey for following his heart back to Celtic instead?
This boyhood fan has unfinished business in Glasgow.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
