James Hill admits he was encouraged to make the move to Hearts by Bournemouth team-mate Ryan Christie.
And just like the former Celtic playmaker used his own loan experience to become an influential figure at the Bhoys, the 21-year-old regards his temporary switch to Tynecastle as pivotal in his attempts to return to Cherries as a better player.
The England under-21 defender joined Robbie Neilson’s side on Monday on a deal until the end of the season and could make his debut in this evening’s visit of St Mirren.
Hill is yet to feature for the English top-flight side this season, and is now eager to get back playing regular football for the first time since leaving Fleetwood for the south coach a year ago.
Bournemouth team-mate Christie was not shy in imparting his knowledge of football north of the border.
The Scotland international is also acutely aware of the importance of loan spells, after building on the success of his time at Aberdeen when he returned to Celtic in in 2018.
“Ryan was talking to me just before I came here, saying how much he loved it and how much I would enjoy it and develop and learn from,” said Hill.
“So hopefully I can make an impression then go back to Bournemouth and give myself a fighting chance for the starting XI.
"He talked about the atmosphere and the fan base. The fan bases at different clubs is massive and he spoke about the different stadiums you go to, with some on astro turf, some on grass, and sometimes you are playing in front of thousands of fans and sometimes you won’t be.
“All those things will be really good for me and, obviously, he said the atmosphere at Celtic and Rangers is incredible and that is something you want to experience.
“As you move up through the different stages of football, the crowds get bigger and you have to deal with that pressure. I think this could be really good for me.”
Hill made his debut for Fleetwood as a 16-year-old under then boss Joey Barton before then going on to be sold to the Cherries for a reported £1 million.
Hill credits his upbringing under former Rangers midfielder Barton as crucial to his development.
“That was really tough but how tough he was on me at times, the way he played and the standards he set in training is really what started me off," said Hill.
“He was that kind of person who went into training every day and said ‘right, I’m going to take your shirt’.
“As a youngster, that was all I kept thinking. He’s the kind of manager who will go in, look at the first-team players and go ‘listen, I’m taking your shirt’.
“By the time pre-season finished, I was making my debut at Leicester at the King Power, coming off the bench with 30 minutes to go.
“That was incredible for me and I wanted more. I was so hungry to get more of that.
“He was tough. If you mess up a passing drill, you are walking back over to the under-18s. But that’s what I loved.
“Now he still messages me, saying ‘how are you getting on?’ The way he set that team up, when we got to the playoffs, it was such a strong team. I learned a lot from him.”
