Rocco Friel

[PHSCAndy]

According to some press reports he’s being scouted by Championship teams. 
Apparently Hearts are keen for him to sign a contract. 
does anyone know anything.

 

[Batistuta87]

Just what you've said. Derby apparently keen and had him down for a trial in the winter I think. 

We are keen to keep him and he's doing very well in the B-Team, Scotland call-up, all that stuff. 

Hopefully we can hang onto him. 

 

[PHSCAndy]

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/hearts-kid-targeted-queens-park-32700270

[Chuck Berry]

He's had a couple of trials down south.  He's not been as regular in the B team this season as he should have been.  Maybe injury combined with spells away trialling.

[kingantti1874]

Disappointing when read stuff like this, he’s a right back, we need a right back.  Be patient young man and move when the time is right 

[FIGJAM]

Looks a player to me. Adam Forrester kept him out of B Team, and yet still got selected for most / all the Scotland squads. Rocco and his dad are not shy about coming forward so from what I have heard there has been some friction. No bad thing and hopefully can be resolved. He has a great physique and his good is very good. Unfortunately he likely lacks that consistent quality, like every young player. I said to someone recently that Friel strikes me as a player who if he leaves will come back and bite Hearts badly.

[RustyRightPeg]

Scotland needs to change something to prevent this happening.

 

Brazil don't let players leave until they are 18 for this very reason and it lets clubs over there tie them into professional contracts & subsequently earn better fees as a result.

 

What would we get? £200/250k?

[Sooks]

We lost Simpson , but held on to Stevenson and Wilson . Hopefully Friel emulates the latter 

[jamboinglasgow]

12 minutes ago, RustyRightPeg said:

Scotland needs to change something to prevent this happening.

 

Brazil don't let players leave until they are 18 for this very reason and it lets clubs over there tie them into professional contracts & subsequently earn better fees as a result.

 

What would we get? £200/250k?

 

It's nothing to do with Brazil stopping it, it's FIFA rules that youngsters can't move to an overseas club till their 18 (they can signal deal before then.) There is exceptions around if the parents are moving to the country for a job but some attempts by clubs to abuse that have led to punishment (see Barcelona and Chelsea getting signing bans)

 

The other exception is that under 18s in the EU can move freely and the same with the UK

 

 

[kingantti1874]

30 minutes ago, RustyRightPeg said:

Scotland needs to change something to prevent this happening.

 

Brazil don't let players leave until they are 18 for this very reason and it lets clubs over there tie them into professional contracts & subsequently earn better fees as a result.

 

What would we get? £200/250k?

Agreed something needs to be done - not sure what though..  Otherwise we may as well shut down the academy.  
 

its sole purpose is to produce players and costs a lot of money. 

Edited April 30 by kingantti1874

[OTT]

52 minutes ago, kingantti1874 said:

Disappointing when read stuff like this, he’s a right back, we need a right back.  Be patient young man and move when the time is right 

 

Exactly! There is an actual, meaningful path into the first team now that Naismith is at the helm. We need a RB, he is a RB. If he trades that for Derbys youth system, thats weird. 

[RustyRightPeg]

56 minutes ago, kingantti1874 said:

Disappointing when read stuff like this, he’s a right back, we need a right back.  Be patient young man and move when the time is right 

 

Naisy might chuck him into the first team squad for the last few games like he did with Wilson last year to convince him to sign a new deal

[Sooks]

2 minutes ago, OTT said:

 

Exactly! There is an actual, meaningful path into the first team now that Naismith is at the helm. We need a RB, he is a RB. If he trades that for Derbys youth system, thats weird. 

Clowns like Jordan McGhee beg to differ  

[Hungry hippo]

4 minutes ago, RustyRightPeg said:

 

Naisy might chuck him into the first team squad for the last few games like he did with Wilson last year to convince him to sign a new deal

 

I'd be surprised if he overtakes Forrester in the short term even allowing for the plan to get him to sign.

Edited April 30 by Hungry hippo

[FIGJAM]

48 minutes ago, RustyRightPeg said:

Scotland needs to change something to prevent this happening.

 

Brazil don't let players leave until they are 18 for this very reason and it lets clubs over there tie them into professional contracts & subsequently earn better fees as a result.

 

What would we get? £200/250k?

Nothing like that. Hearts only had Rocca for 2 years. The development fee for a 16yr old leaving having been in the Academy since u11s (first year) is £140k. Sometimes there is a goodwill payment as well (Ewen Simpson) but I suspect you are looking at £50k. 

Friel's potential is higher than most - that is what worries me about this departure. It is a big move for the boy with associated risks. I hope the Hearts door is still open and reconciliation on both sides can be achieved.

 

[Sooks]

4 minutes ago, FIGJAM said:

Nothing like that. Hearts only had Rocca for 2 years. The development fee for a 16yr old leaving having been in the Academy since u11s (first year) is £140k. Sometimes there is a goodwill payment as well (Ewen Simpson) but I suspect you are looking at £50k. 

Friel's potential is higher than most - that is what worries me about this departure. It is a big move for the boy with associated risks. I hope the Hearts door is still open and reconciliation on both sides can be achieved.

 

The terminology you have used here suggest he is already gone and that there was animosity or disagreement . Is this the case or have I just picked you up wrong 

[tian447]

33 minutes ago, Sooks said:

Clowns like Jordan McGhee beg to differ  

 

Rocco will have a couple of years at Falkirk, and 5 years at Dundee to look forward to then

 

[The Wrinkly Ninja]

20 minutes ago, FIGJAM said:

Nothing like that. Hearts only had Rocca for 2 years. The development fee for a 16yr old leaving having been in the Academy since u11s (first year) is £140k. Sometimes there is a goodwill payment as well (Ewen Simpson) but I suspect you are looking at £50k. 

Friel's potential is higher than most - that is what worries me about this departure. It is a big move for the boy with associated risks. I hope the Hearts door is still open and reconciliation on both sides can be achieved.

 

 

Reconciliation on the clubs part?

 

What exactly have the club done wrong with this kid?

 

 

 

 

[FIGJAM]

33 minutes ago, Sooks said:

The terminology you have used here suggest he is already gone and that there was animosity or disagreement . Is this the case or have I just picked you up wrong 

His Dad been very vocal at B Team games about the situation. Professional football will have disagreements. Foxy played Adam over Rocco. It's good that the boy backs himself. Given chat at Celtic B game it did feel to those that were there that Rocco was off. I hope this is not the case and Rocca decides to fight for his place at Hearts. I am sure Foxy and rest of B Team want him to stay. He is is a Scotland u19 player after all.

[RustyRightPeg]

4 minutes ago, FIGJAM said:

His Dad been very vocal at B Team games about the situation. Professional football will have disagreements. Foxy played Adam over Rocco. It's good that the boy backs himself. Given chat at Celtic B game it did feel to those that were there that Rocco was off. I hope this is not the case and Rocca decides to fight for his place at Hearts. I am sure Foxy and rest of B Team want him to stay. He is is a Scotland u19 player after all.

 

Is his old man his agent too? There's genuinely nothing worse than vocal parents in this situation who end up brainwashing their kids. It's cost many a career.

[Chuck Berry]

4 minutes ago, FIGJAM said:

His Dad been very vocal at B Team games about the situation. Professional football will have disagreements. Foxy played Adam over Rocco. It's good that the boy backs himself. Given chat at Celtic B game it did feel to those that were there that Rocco was off. I hope this is not the case and Rocca decides to fight for his place at Hearts. I am sure Foxy and rest of B Team want him to stay. He is is a Scotland u19 player after all.

 

His Dad has a lot of "opinions" shall we say. A big Rangers man, he thinks his laddie is better than what he actually is at this stage in his career.  Sometimes parents are the worst thing to happen to a young player.

[Footballfirst]

43 minutes ago, The Wrinkly Ninja said:

Reconciliation on the clubs part?

 

What exactly have the club done wrong with this kid?

 

I may be reading too much into the earlier comments on the thread but, if correct, there are parallels to what happened with Mark Leonard in that dad thinks he should be valued more by the club and should be training and playing more with the B Team/First Team.  Hearts is keen to hold onto him but the player wants to explore other options so his agent gets him trials with clubs down south.  Whatever happens going forward, Hearts has to deal with an unhappy player. 

 

I'm unsure of his contract situation but if he is out of contract in the summer, he is free to find another club, subject to development fees/compensation.  Rocco will be 18 in October. 

 

Edit: I think he has a younger sibling who is at Rangers.

Edited April 30 by Footballfirst

[Debut 4]

2 hours ago, RustyRightPeg said:

Scotland needs to change something to prevent this happening.

 

Brazil don't let players leave until they are 18 for this very reason and it lets clubs over there tie them into professional contracts & subsequently earn better fees as a result.

 

What would we get? £200/250k?

Now see what you’ve done?  Hibs will

now claim they introduced the law over there.   😜

[OTT]

26 minutes ago, Chuck Berry said:

 

His Dad has a lot of "opinions" shall we say. A big Rangers man, he thinks his laddie is better than what he actually is at this stage in his career.  Sometimes parents are the worst thing to happen to a young player.

 

Oh christ, thats a write off then. 

[Sooks]

32 minutes ago, FIGJAM said:

His Dad been very vocal at B Team games about the situation. Professional football will have disagreements. Foxy played Adam over Rocco. It's good that the boy backs himself. Given chat at Celtic B game it did feel to those that were there that Rocco was off. I hope this is not the case and Rocca decides to fight for his place at Hearts. I am sure Foxy and rest of B Team want him to stay. He is is a Scotland u19 player after all.

Football dads ………. Man 

[We_are_the_Hearts]

26 minutes ago, Chuck Berry said:

 

His Dad has a lot of "opinions" shall we say. A big Rangers man, he thinks his laddie is better than what he actually is at this stage in his career.  Sometimes parents are the worst thing to happen to a young player.

Spot on, a lot of them forget its a team game and not just about their son. In my experience the laddies are never an issue but the parents can be 

[Sooks]

Supporting the Huns really does something to some people 

[loveofthegame]

2 hours ago, FIGJAM said:

Looks a player to me. Adam Forrester kept him out of B Team, and yet still got selected for most / all the Scotland squads. Rocco and his dad are not shy about coming forward so from what I have heard there has been some friction. No bad thing and hopefully can be resolved. He has a great physique and his good is very good. Unfortunately he likely lacks that consistent quality, like every young player. I said to someone recently that Friel strikes me as a player who if he leaves will come back and bite Hearts badly.

 

Interesting take... do you happen to know the family personally?! Just seems quite a statement to make about our B teams second choice RB...

 

In my lifetime, the number of youngsters who have left us pre establishing themselves in the first team that have come back to bite us badly amounts to roughly 0 players.

 

You could maybe include Jason Cummings at a push (but only based on the goals he scored against us rather than his overall ability). Marc Leonard seems to be progressing a bit so he is maybe another but right now he is a League One/Two player (with interest from the Championship) down south so again hard to say that right now.

 

I might be forgetting others but I really can't think of many who've left us in their mid to late teens before establishing themselves who've really gone on to be top players.

[Rods]

9 minutes ago, Sooks said:

Supporting the Huns really does something to some people 

You read my mind on this. Entitlement is stereotypical from a lot OF fans. Quick to expect to be front of the line and in Rangers fans cases quick to hide when it came to saying their club. 
 

Back onto Friel is he better than Forrester if it is the case we should be looking to play him at RB in the last few games. 

[Sooks]

4 minutes ago, Rods said:

You read my mind on this. Entitlement is stereotypical from a lot OF fans. Quick to expect to be front of the line and in Rangers fans cases quick to hide when it came to saying their club. 
 

Back onto Friel is he better than Forrester if it is the case we should be looking to play him at RB in the last few games. 

Definitely a sort of inbred entitlement with a lot of them . McGhee reeked of it . Hopefully Friel is cut from better cloth

[Mikey1874]

Hearts starlet Rocco Friel is reportedly in talks with QPR.

The right-back or right midfielder has a host of English clubs keeping tabs on his status with his contract expiring at Tynecastle.

The Daily Record report QPR are hoping to finalise a deal with Friel - who has been called up to the Scotland under-19 squad.

However, it's thought Hearts are keen to keep hold of the 17-year-old who is in the final months of his current contract.

Friel would be free to leave Hearts in the summer should no new deal be signed at Tynecastle - however the Edinburgh club would be due training and development compensation if he joins a new club.

Leicester and Derby County have also been linked with a move for Friel having reportedly had the teenager on trial for training sessions.

It's claimed Premier League-bound Leicester and newly promoted Championship side Derby are keeping an eye on Friel after watching the former Rangers youngster up close.

Friel - who has yet to feature for the Hearts first-team - has turned out 14 times for Liam Fox's Hearts B team this term. In those outings, Friel contributed two goals and three assists.

Edited April 30 by Mikey1874

[Chuck Berry]

42 minutes ago, We_are_the_Hearts said:

Spot on, a lot of them forget its a team game and not just about their son. In my experience the laddies are never an issue but the parents can be 

 

I think Rocco has a decent future at Hearts if he wants it and given our problems at RB, he could start getting involved in the first team next season.  However if his dad wants him away then it's probably futile trying to keep him.  I believe he spent a week at Leicester.

Edited April 30 by Chuck Berry

[Skacelsid]

There must be interest for good reason, get his contract extended and lets see him in action next home game.

[RustyRightPeg]

Who was the young lad that scored up at Dunfermline in pre season. Was it Rathie?

[Footballfirst]

31 minutes ago, Rods said:

You read my mind on this. Entitlement is stereotypical from a lot OF fans. Quick to expect to be front of the line and in Rangers fans cases quick to hide when it came to saying their club. 
 

Back onto Friel is he better than Forrester if it is the case we should be looking to play him at RB in the last few games. 

It should be remembered that Rangers released Friel and Forrester as not being good enough for them (also Ryan Duncan and Callum Sandilands for that matter).  On that basis, we shouldn't expect any of them to be world beaters.

[Hungry hippo]

4 minutes ago, Skacelsid said:

There must be interest for good reason, get his contract extended and lets see him in action next home game.

 

We can't just start giving debuts to players because their dad is setting them up with trials at other clubs and threatening to leave.

 

He'll hopefully extend his deal with us (although it's sounding unlikely based on this thread) and if he does he'll need to then  show he's better than Forrester before possibly getting a chance in the first team.

[InternationalJambo]

Interesting developments here. Heard internally he was due to sign on for another 2 years a few months back so I wonder what has happened behind the scenes. It’s clear Fox prefers Forrester but thought next season would have been the breakthrough season for Friel. 

[RustyRightPeg]

Has Friel trained with the first team at any point? 

[Chuck Berry]

54 minutes ago, Footballfirst said:

It should be remembered that Rangers released Friel and Forrester as not being good enough for them (also Ryan Duncan and Callum Sandilands for that matter).  On that basis, we shouldn't expect any of them to be world beaters.

 

Not sure being released by Rangers is a measure of world beating potential to be fair!  clubs release players every season and some turn out to be bad decisions.

[If carlsberg did rivals...]

5 hours ago, Chuck Berry said:

 

His Dad has a lot of "opinions" shall we say. A big Rangers man, he thinks his laddie is better than what he actually is at this stage in his career.  Sometimes parents are the worst thing to happen to a young player.

I would imagine It's embarrassing enough for young kids to have their loudmouth dad screaming at the side of the pitch, but for a 17 year old playing for Hearts B team it must be mortifying. Empty vessels make more noise as the saying goes.

[Jonbo]

Send to me as a clever attempt by either his family or agent to let clubs know that the lad is nearing the end of his contract and hopefully alerting teams to his availability! There will be many English clubs sniffing about all academys looking to see what’s available,but strange that this one makes the daily rags????🤔🤔.

no doubt he’s a decent laddie but is way behind forester in the fight for a start at right back in the b team!!!.
Next season would be his time to cement a b team start!!!

[Jonbo]

4 hours ago, RustyRightPeg said:

Who was the young lad that scored up at Dunfermline in pre season. Was it Rathie?

Yeh much more of a centre half than a full back, but has proved he’s capable when called upon! If memory serves me right scored a cracker of a volley from right back all be it against Edinburgh Uni!!

Forrester would be first pick at right back!!!

[Bongo 1874]

The lad has the ability, and he's certainly a player that given time and development can play for Hearts.

 

Make him a good offer and he will stay.

 

A lot of the time, it comes down to how appreciated these family's and players feel.

 

Ego yes.

 

But if you want to secure fees, for talent this is what you have to accept.

 

Play for us and get that regular game time in years to come.

 

Or move on down to England. 

 

If Mr Friel is on this forum.

 

Here is some advice.

 

If your Lad is good as i think he is,keep him at us,and he will get that experience and game time.

 

With a move further down the line to an English team,that will not only benefit him as a pro.

 

His stock will be even higher.

 

Playing for Hearts,with a team that is playing in Europe.

 

After playing 50-100 games if he is still showing that potential to play at a higher level.

 

He can move on.

 

That way you keep all options on the table.

 

As it stands the now you don't get much out of agent fees,but play a few games with us and in Europe,with him standing out.

 

Just look at what Rangers got for Patterson.

 

Box clever here.

 

 

 

[OTT]

Has the club ever thought about a contract for parents (of sorts) ? Just something to create lines and so forth  

 

Like, of course the parents want whats best for their laddie. No issues with that, but there is a line between that, and then intruding into the professionals role. 

 

Liam Fox isn't out to cut players, or make anyone fail. Its in his interests to be pushing as many kids into the first time as humanly possible, as ultimately its a stat that will be measured by the board, the manager and hell, even the fans!

 

I don't doubt that pushy parents are a problem at every level in youth football. Clubs must surely have a way of managing them  

 

FWIW If Hearts are keen to extend, I really don't see the value in him looking elsewhere. Naismith wants to develop young players, English clubs are in a rat race and the likelihood of making it there is so slim. He could make it here if he makes a good go of things and get his 100 games and go down south as a first team signing, rather than a speculative youth punt. 

 

Thing is, if his dad is being difficult now, is he going to remain difficult in future? 

[Jocam2325]

14 minutes ago, Bongo 1874 said:

The lad has the ability, and he's certainly a player that given time and development can play for Hearts.

 

Make him a good offer and he will stay.

 

A lot of the time, it comes down to how appreciated these family's and players feel.

 

Ego yes.

 

But if you want to secure fees, for talent this is what you have to accept.

 

Play for us and get that regular game time in years to come.

 

Or move on down to England. 

 

If Mr Friel is on this forum.

 

Here is some advice.

 

If your Lad is good as i think he is,keep him at us,and he will get that experience and game time.

 

With a move further down the line to an English team,that will not only benefit him as a pro.

 

His stock will be even higher.

 

Playing for Hearts,with a team that is playing in Europe.

 

After playing 50-100 games if he is still showing that potential to play at a higher level.

 

He can move on.

 

That way you keep all options on the table.

 

As it stands the now you don't get much out of agent fees,but play a few games with us and in Europe,with him standing out.

 

Just look at what Rangers got for Patterson.

 

Box clever here.

 

 

 

Oh jeez

[FionaHmfc]

His dad ran a football coaching business and really fancies himself as a complete know it all. Rocco’s uncle has also just become an agent for a Scottish consultancy. As someone else said the family are all very rangers minded and unfortunately they believe Rocco is actually better than he is. Best thing he could do is stay another year at least and get a good preseason and attempt to be regularly making the first team squads but I think he’ll be lead down the wrong path as has happened to so many youngsters in Scotland. It’s a shame but if he and his family don’t want him to stay then just let him move on now with our best wishes and wish good luck to them all 

[jamboinglasgow]

It does seem this happens when you have family who have a plan for what they want their kids through football. I do wonder how often it does work?

 

I would say one example of it working was Hickey. There does seem a plan that he moves from Celtic to Hearts to get first team football quicker, gets it and makes a big early impact which they used to get the next transfer where he could develop more. It does seem his Dad and agent were good at picking clubs and were able to use the short nature of the contract at Hearts to get a move.

 

The problem for others who want to copy that is Hickey is a massive talent, which allowed him to move quicker. The danger for other players is if they expect that and it doesn't they can mess up key years of development if they try to force things or moves.

 

I can understand the risk v reward nature of football, you could move to an academy down south where you may earn more money than you will earn elsewhere at any point of your career but you could end up forgotten and find your development stagnate. You could stay up here and then pick up lots of injuries and it never works out (like happened to Flatman.)

 

I agree with others, I think Friel would be better staying at Hearts and pushing hard for the B team and first team, rather than go to an academy in England and most likely getting lost in the crowd.

[Sooks]

Huns gonna Hun

[Bazzas right boot]

Thought this was a Fred about the guy in Starship Troopers.

[OTT]

11 minutes ago, jamboinglasgow said:

It does seem this happens when you have family who have a plan for what they want their kids through football. I do wonder how often it does work?

 

I would say one example of it working was Hickey. There does seem a plan that he moves from Celtic to Hearts to get first team football quicker, gets it and makes a big early impact which they used to get the next transfer where he could develop more. It does seem his Dad and agent were good at picking clubs and were able to use the short nature of the contract at Hearts to get a move.

 

The problem for others who want to copy that is Hickey is a massive talent, which allowed him to move quicker. The danger for other players is if they expect that and it doesn't they can mess up key years of development if they try to force things or moves.

 

I can understand the risk v reward nature of football, you could move to an academy down south where you may earn more money than you will earn elsewhere at any point of your career but you could end up forgotten and find your development stagnate. You could stay up here and then pick up lots of injuries and it never works out (like happened to Flatman.)

 

I agree with others, I think Friel would be better staying at Hearts and pushing hard for the B team and first team, rather than go to an academy in England and most likely getting lost in the crowd.

 

Just saw he's been released too (or will be anyway)

 

What a damned shame.