Garang Kuol post Hearts fortunes examined as Newcastle kid looks to get career back on track
Even though he left with a goal at Ibrox,
‘s loan with Hearts wasn’t particularly noteworthy.
The signing of the
teenager by Newcastle, not long after he switched from Central Coast Mariners to the English Premier League team, was much anticipated, and both the fan base and then-manager Robbie Neilson were thrilled about it. He was a wonderchild and “the next big thing,” and Tynecastle was where he would spend the next phase of his growth.
All in all, it was not quite what it was hyped up to be. Hearts fans were left baffled as they thought they were getting someone who would have an impact, however fleeting. Newcastle fans were disappointed as they’d hoped to see him show what he was going to do for them in the future and fans over in Australia were arguably the most angry as they saw their baby treated badly.
The truth was, Kuol didn’t really show enough in any of the appearances that he did get to suggest he should be starting games for the Jambos.
His next move was crucial and the 19-year-old ended up at Volendam in the Netherlands.
Perhaps surprisingly, he is playing regularly in the Dutch top flight, albeit in a team that is fighting against relegation. After making his Eredivisie debut from the bench against Vitesse, he then failed to even make the matchday squad for the next game.
But he has since started five in a row as he looks set to get a season of the regular football he was after. He’s gradually began to contribute too, getting his first goal despite defeat to Fortuna Sittard.
An assist then followed in a crucial relegation six-pointer against basement boys Utrecht, setting up the only goal of the game before breaking off for the international games.
Despite having five caps for Australia, Kuol wasn’t included in the squad for these games and will look to come back refreshed from the break to keep getting the most out of his loan – unlike his last one