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What position do u play in ?

P

proxnet

Senior Squad
LB,CB,RB. Occasionally on the wings. I personally prefer playing as an Attacking Mid but my stupid coach never listens to me :(
 
M

Moreira_Benfica

Senior Squad
Harmsworth1;2289718 said:
Drink a lot, i know its sounds crazy, but, 1 litre of water with a table spoon of sugar and a pinch of salt helps alot.
Click to expand...

question... how does that work? what does it do, because i also get winded, tired after about 65-70 minutes (im rb, but attack down the line alot) i might try that out, does it taste nasty lol
 
F

farmboy

Reserve Team
I wouldn't be surprised if that concoction does work. What do you think Gatorade is? I mean, they are a little more exacting into the kinds of sugars, and they add some other stuff, but the idea is basically the same.
 
F

Filipower

Bunburyist
rigth back, right winger or center midfielder, i've done all three...must say what tires me the most has to be right back, because i tend to get forward a lot :D
 
M

Mr Swiss

Youth Team
last year i played RB for my college team and early this year i made the switch to CF lol only managed to score 1 goal since i was struggling ith fitness *sigh*
 
J

jamboBG

Club Supporter


Branimir's taste of fantasy football

BARRY ANDERSON
([email protected])

YOUR father counts international superstars like Hristo Stoichkov and Dimitar Berbatov amongst his friends. Sounds like a dream scenario for a kid plotting his football career, but Hearts teenager Branimir Kostadinov has lived the fantasy.

Idolising national heroes is almost a pre-requisite for aspiring footballers and Kostadinov chose to worship two of Bulgaria's finest in Stoichkov and Berbatov. Through dad Petio, a respected agent in Sofia, he was able to befriend both players and glean useful inspiration for a career which is now laced with promise.

Kostadinov first fronted up at Hearts' Riccarton training base as a skinny 16-year-old late in 2005, with little else on his mind other than mimicking the sorcery of Stoichkov and Berbatov: No digs, a minimal command of the English language and, with Bulgaria yet to enrol in the EU at that time, he didn't even have a work permit.

The initial settling-in period in Edinburgh became arduous, for the talented forward was unable to play in competitive under-19 matches. He registered as an amateur player until his country joined the EU in January this year. But by then, he had transformed himself into an English-speaking, iron-pumping young prospect. Now 18, he is edging ever nearer first-team exposure.

A call to the family home Sofia is answered in Bulgarian by a female, who instantly passes the phone to the fluent English speaker of the house. Enter Branimir to talk life, Hearts and heroes.

"Hearts have given me a programme to follow here in Bulgaria so I'm working hard just now. I work with weights every day in the gym to improve my fitness," he says.

"Now my hero is Berbatov but my old hero is Hristo Stoichkov. When I was ten to 14 years old, he was the big player I liked to watch. I met him two or three times when I was growing up because he is a friend of my father, and it was a big honour.

"There was also a friendship between my father and Berbatov's agent. My father helped with his transfer to Bayer Leverkusen and he is a good friend of the family. We didn't see him too much after he went to Germany but he has a big career now with Tottenham. He is a big striker for the national team too, and a good role model for young Bulgarian players like me. I want to reach his level in my career but I also want bigger, like maybe Manchester United's level.

"First, I want to play for Hearts. Hearts is my dream."

Kostadinov flew out of Sofia today on his way back to Edinburgh for pre-season training. Having finally attained the right to play for Hearts in January, the intention is to kick on and make up for lost time during the season ahead.

Promotion of sorts was granted back in March when, along with a handful of under-19 players, he shadowed the first team during a week-long stay in Schneverdingen, Germany. A friendly appearance was recorded against Lithuanian feeder club FBK Kaunas, and last month he helped the under-19s win the Bliz tournament in his native Bulgaria.

"The first time I played with the youth team it was hard because, in Scotland, every player plays hard," says Kostadinov. "In Bulgaria, or places like Germany or Spain, they play with technique. In Scotland and England it's different but I like the British style."

Assistant coach Stephen Frail was first to welcome Kostadinov to Riccarton during his tenure as under-19 coach, and recognised instantly the potential on hand. The kind of promise which heralded 16 goals in 16 games for previous club, LASK Linz of Austria, and brought international youth caps for Bulgaria. The work permit complications had a stifling effect on the young forward, but Frail saw a different character emerge in the second half of last season.

"I watched Branimir during the last few weeks of the season and he was coming on fine," says Frail. "He has struggled a little bit in his time here. He came over and we liked what we saw but red tape prevented him from playing. That was demoralising for him and we had him out playing with an amateur team. You could see the kid working hard in training but at the end of the week he had nothing because he had no game."

He's certainly got a game now. English lessons have seen his command of the language improve tenfold - Kostadinov also speaks German - and the arrival of a buddy in his Edinburgh residence has been of enormous benefit. Dumitru Copil, Hearts' outstanding 17-year-old prospect from Romania has befriended Kostadinov to form an often amusing Bulgaria-Romania double act.

"I'm very happy with my team and with my Scottish family.

I'm friendly with everybody in my team," continues Kostadinov. "The work permit was a big problem but now I can play. It was a very hard situation because I was in Scotland for one year and could only train with the team. It was very sad for me. Now Dumitru is here and we live together. He is a good person and a good friend. My hope is that we can both play in the first team together. He plays right midfield and I can play striker and sometimes midfield.

"Dumitru is from a country so close to Bulgaria and he knows when I am thinking different to a normal Scottish player. Some of the Scots don't understand what I am thinking or what I want in some situations, that's why Dumitru helps me. Maybe my character is similar to his. We are both different from the Scottish character. My English is not perfect but I can speak with everybody and joke with everybody. Dumitru still has some problems with his English but hopefully that will improve in a few months."

If Kostadinov has his way, he and Copil will play pivotal roles in Hearts' future for some time to come.

"I think every single player in the youth team has a chance to make the first team but you need to work extremely hard," he says.

"Now, I think Eggert Jonsson has a big chance because he is such a good player. He can be like Wallace, Elliot and Mole. This gives us all encouragement and I hope I can follow those players next year."

Petio monitors his son's fortunes from afar in Sofia, but he may need to round up Stoichkov, Berbatov and the rest of the family for a trip to Tynecastle next season if young Kostadinov achieves his aim.






:corn:
 
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