Sam Nicholson admits it is “weird” being on the same Tynecastle pitch where he used to watch his Hearts heroes perform.
The boyhood Jambos supporter joined the club at 12 and worked his way through the age groups at the youth academy.
The midfielder, however, found himself making an earlier than expected impact at first-team level this season following the club’s descent into administration which brought a 15-point deduction and a signings embargo.
Nicholson, 18, made his debut as substitute against Inverness in August and started for the first time against the Highlanders last month.
Ahead of the visit of Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership today, he said: “I used to go to the games at Tynecastle when I was a wee boy and to be one of the players on the pitch is a weird feeling but a good feeling. A dream come true. It has been brilliant. Being at such a young age, I am happy at getting in the squad.”
Motherwell manager Stuart McCall has hit out at the “crazy” rule which prevents clubs loaning more than one player to the same club.
The Steelmen have loaned Adam Cummins to Dundee and were looking to loan another player to the Championship side in order to finance the signing of Henri Anier, himself on loan from Viking Stavanger.
However, the new Scottish Professional Football League set-up only permits clubs to recruit one loan player from any other team.
McCall said: “We have needed to get players out to finance the Anier deal. I am flabbergasted.
“It is more frustrating for us because we have been trying to do this deal which would help finance Henri.
“We will no longer be able to get the finance from Dundee which we were hoping to get from one of our players. The rule is crazy.”