What Will Rogers Mato Do for Hearts, and Are They the New Big Team in Scotland?

Hearts have not won the Scottish top tier football division since 1960. In the Scottish Premiership, the club has failed to attain the top spot for the title, and has not finished in the top two since 2006. Could this really be their season of glory, and what part will Ugandan striker Rogers Mato play in their future?

In June last year, Brighton and Hove Albion owner and lifelong fan Tony Bloom acquired a 29% stake in Hearts. Bloom is known for his sports betting company Starlizard, history in professional poker, and mysterious algorithm that is said to guide Brighton’s transfers. In Hearts first season with Bloom as co-owner, they began the league campaign with a 12-match unbeaten streak that included a 3-1 win over Celtic.

Rogers is one of several players to have been signed in Bloom’s time. He joined on loan from Macedonian club Vardar in January before agreeing a permanent deal. He will sign a three-year deal with Hearts in the summer, upon the expiration of his contract with Vardar.

Bloom gave Hearts £10 million last summer, but the co-owner was unable to supply more cash in the January transfer window due to UEFA rules around controlling more than one European club. Hearts chief executive Andrew McKinlay warned fans that they shouldn’t expect a significant outlay.

Mato is only 22 years old but has already been capped over 40 times for the Cranes, and scored a goal at the most recent Africa Cup of Nations. He started his career at Ugandan clubs Proline and KCCA.

The left winger, who can also play as a centre forward, is known for his explosive pace and direct attacking. Mato enjoys one-on-one situations with defenders and uses his acceleration to dribble past full-backs.

Hearts’ attention would have been caught during Vardar’s run in the Europa League qualifiers last summer. Mato scored in three successive games. That was reflective of his overall form for Vardar: in a period of 17 games, Mato scored 15 goals and made two assists.

A couple of months after that Europa League run, he scored two for his country in a 4-0 World Cup qualification win over Mozambique.

Mato has not featured much yet for Hearts but made his Scottish Premiership debut in late January. Head coach Derek McInnes described Mato as a “livewire player” upon his signing. The coach said he had made a good first impression when meeting the rest of the squad.

The two traditional powerhouses have given way to Hearts, who may see themselves as Scotland’s new big team. Pre-season, the bookmakers’ betting odds – as always – suggested Celtic and Rangers were the favourites for the title. But Hearts and Bloom are upsetting the odds, something the co-owner is rather fond of doing.

Celtic have had a relatively tumultuous campaign, having won the previous four league titles. After manager Brendan Rogers left in October, club legend Martin O’Neil returned as interim boss, before Wilfried Nancy took the reins. Nancy’s three-man defence didn’t work and the side struggled to control games. The Frenchman only lasted a month before O’Neil returned yet again. Never in the club’s history has there been so many managerial changes in a single season.

Celtic’s December was particularly troubling as they lost five of eight games, including the League Cup final against St Mirren.

Rangers meanwhile struggled for consistency all season until a terrific run from late December to the end of January. They won eight straight games including their final Europa League game and a Scottish Cup game in which they swatted aside Queen’s Park in an 8-0 home win. Earlier in the season Rangers struggled for clean sheets and some fans were criticising goalkeeper Jack Butland.

Hearts have had no such problems. Mato looks to be in the right place for a bright future.