Toby Sibbick admits Hearts ’ World Cup stars have been told to nab the big name shirts after their Group D opener against France.
Kye Rowles, Nathaniel Atkinson and Cammy Devlin are all in Graham Arnold’s Socceroos squad for the controversial tournament in Qatar. They kick off their campaign against holders France on Tuesday before further games against Tunisia and Denmark. While it’s those two matches that the lads in green and gold will see as the most likely to yield points, there’s no doubt that les Bleus represent the glamour encounter.
Getting close Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema and superstar strike partner Kylian Mbappe during the 90 minutes will prove a challenge. But the Tynecastle trio have been issued a post-match one by their teammates as well - get the shirts off their back if you possibly can. Sibbick said: "I hope they get a few good shirts against France. I’ve told them they need to get a few good ones. I’m happy for them. They have done well for us this season.
"Kye has been out injured and it’s great that he’s going to the World Cup. It shows what the manager thinks of him as a player. Three of them are going and we will be right behind them. You can see in Kye’s performances that he’s a quality player. He is class to play with."
Robbie Neilson’s squad are just off the back of a first European group stage campaign. It’s the first time Hearts have competed on such a stage since the gaffer was still playing.
They were taught harsh lessons against Istanbul Basaksehir and Fiorentina, but took maximum points from two matches against Latvia’s RFS. And Sibbick is sure the experience will stand the Aussie contingent in good stead out in the Middle East.
"Yes, European football should help prepare them for the World Cup," he said. "Cammy and Natty have had that experience and Kye’s had a little bit as well. Now they are going to be playing against the very best players in the world, especially France, who won the World Cup previously.
"They have top players and it will be great for the lads to test themselves against the likes of Mbappe and Benzema. We will be watching them.
"And it will also help Hearts. For any player going to the World Cup it will be a top class experience but they are still young. I’m sure they will have a great experience out there and I’m looking forward to them telling us all about it when they get back."
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