2 weeks Ago By Barry Anderson
Three months is a long time to wait for a debut when you are fully fit. Musa Drammeh speaks candidly about his frustrations since arriving at Hearts in June. His first appearance in maroon finally came as a substitute at Celtic Park last Saturday, the young Spaniard demonstrating some of the attributes his new team could certainly use if they are to drag themselves off the bottom of the Premiership.
Pace, mobility, some physicality and positional instinct were all on show during Drammeh’s 19-minute cameo in attack. He is 22 and far from the finished article, hence his peripheral role since signing a three-year contract at Tynecastle Park. What he offers in among the raw talent is a natural tendency to gallop in behind defenders at speed.
He almost marked his debut with an equalising goal before Celtic went 2-0 ahead, his outstretched right leg unable to make a clean connection with Blair Spittal’s 83rd-minute cross. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. “I had mixed emotions,” Drammeh tells the Edinburgh News .
“I was so happy to make my debut there in that scenario, but I was not happy with the result. I think we have more to do and I think we could have achieved more from the game. Playing in that stadium against that club with their history, it was a good experience.
I’m so happy I made my debut there and now I am waiting for the next couple of weeks. I want to make my Tynecastle debut, too.” Fans are keen to see what role Drammeh might play at St Mirren on Saturday.
He holds a good command of English as he chats . There is clear frustration that he has not played more for Hearts. He is a notable absentee from the club’s European squad for this season’s Conference League, a decision taken by head coach Steven Naismith because the player has relatively little first-team experience despite his age.
He arrived from Sevilla B eager to make an impact and sample European football, but first he must impose himself domestically. Pre-season outings saw him deployed in a wide attacking role, but at Celtic Park he played as a central striker. Early evidence suggests he might be more effective through the middle.
He got his chance after holding talks with Naismith about his situation and would dearly love to have converted that Spittal cross. “I thought it would go in but the goalkeeper saved it. I am going to keep working hard to get more chances like this,” he says.
“I spoke to the manager. I know I’m coming from another country and I have to get used to Scottish football, but I want to be part of the team. Like on Saturday, I want to get minutes, to keep working and every week get more minutes.
I hope for that and I am working for that. I hope I am going to get minutes in the coming weeks to show the fans and the manager what I can do. Advertisement Advertisement “I am confident I can do this, 100 per cent.
When I have more minutes, I’m going to show what I am and why Hearts signed me. I like to run in behind defenders, I like headers in the air, and I think my best skill is scoring goals. I couldn’t do it on Saturday but I hope I will do it in the next few weeks.
” He managed it twice in a closed-door friendly against St Johnstone during the recent international break. “Yeah, that gave me confidence. I had a lot of time not playing.
For a striker, goals always give you more confidence.” Drammeh is the only striker Hearts signed during the summer transfer window. They can certainly use someone with pace and the ability to play on defenders’ shoulders in order to sprint onto forward balls.
That tactic could be useful in Paisley. “It’s a good opportunity for me so I have to keep working to show the manager I can be this man,” says Drammeh. The fact another striker did not arrive before August’s transfer deadline works in his favour.
“Partly, yes, but I think we have good strikers. We have Shanks [Lawrence Shankland], we have Boycie [Liam Boyce], we have [Kenneth] Vargas. I think we are good in that area.
We can achieve what we want with the team we have.” Naismith is pleased with the player’s contribution at Celtic. “Musa is young and he doesn't have loads of experience.
That's the trade-off,” explains the head coach. “Against Celtic, I thought he put himself about. He was in the right area for a great cross and he got on the end of it.
He is four yards from goal. If that goes in the net, it's 1-1 and the dynamics of the game totally change. I was pleased for him.
He has taken time to settle and hopefully we will be seeing more of him as the weeks go on.”.
