Arek the Pole determined to prove he's Scot the lot for Hearts

ARRIVALS from Kaunas are becoming evermore common for the staff at Edinburgh airport, but amid the predictable transfer window furore at Hearts Arkadiusz Klimek managed to slip through customs almost undetected.

Yet to play competitively in maroon, the Polish striker with the nickname "Arek" arrived on loan from Vladimir Romanov's Lithuanian club, FBK Kaunas, with intentions of bolstering the forward line at Tynecastle.

He offered an eight-goal contribution as Kaunas rampaged through the Lithuanian A Lyga last year, eventually securing the title by a margin of 21 points from second placed Ekranas.

Both Klimek and his companion on the inward flight to Edinburgh, Eduardas Kurskis, were recruited on six-month loan contracts at the start of the month, allowing their suitability for Scottish football to be ascertained in the short term.

For Klimek, finding himself in Scotland at the age of 31 was a pleasant, if unexpected, development.

"When I was approached by Hearts it was a positive surprise," he said.

"The Hearts manager was watching me play for Kaunas and then he approached me to ask whether I would be interested in coming to Edinburgh.

"It was very nice to hear someone ask me to come to Scotland. I always wanted to play in a good team, that is what counts for me."

Klimek's sum contribution since slipping into Tynecastle on the quiet has been to score the winning goal in an unofficial friendly match with Livingston.

Hearts head coach Valdas Ivanauskas is keen to augment his new striker's fitness before introducing him to the SPL but, until such a time, information on the Pole's strength and style of play will remain scarce.

"It is hard to put my abilities into words," said Klimek. "I like scoring goals, I have plenty experience and I am able to use my left foot well."

Certainly, a left-sided forward could be well utilised by Ivanauskas, who otherwise has an eight-strong attacking line of right-footers.

Born in the north-eastern Polish town of Ilawa, Klimek stands 6ft 2ins tall and, at first glance, looks the stereotypical war-horse striker. He scored a total of 16 goals in 40 appearances during his 18-month stay in Lithuania, the best goals-to-games ratio of a career that has included spells with Polish clubs Stomil Olsztyn, Zaglebie Lubin and Wisla Plock, as well as the Greek side Panionios.

The mercurial Mauricio Pinilla could have hastened Klimek's promotion to the Hearts first-team after returning to Chile complaining his mindset is not in the proper shape to allow him to play in Scotland.

Klimek, however, gives the modest impression he is content simply with the opportunity to prove himself on a loftier stage than that of Lithuania. And, unlike Pinilla, he seems to have the required dedication.

"I like the life in Edinburgh very much but I will probably be here without my wife and children for most of the time [he has two daughters].

"My wife has a full-time job as a teacher back home and my children are settled in school there, so I think I will live by myself for the moment.

"They will come to Edinburgh on holiday when the schools are off but I have found a house for myself and I will move in very soon."

He certainly won't be without familiar faces when gazing around the Hearts dressing room. Andrius Velicka and Marius Zaliukas are former Kaunas colleagues and have already offered to help Klimek integrate into Scottish culture.

With merely hours left until the transfer window closes it may be difficult for Romanov to furnish Ivanauskas with any more players from the St Darius and St Girenas stadium, but Belarussian midfielders Slava Hleb, pictured left, and Oleg Strahanovich are already in line for summer moves to Edinburgh.

"In the summer I plan to become a Hearts player," says Hleb. "I failed to do this in the autumn because of work permit problems so now I need to play a few games for the Belarus national team. My brother [Alexander of Arsenal] advises me to join Hearts."
Klimek adds: "There are several players in the Hearts team whom I know from my time at Kaunas and I think this will be helpful.

"I don't know if any more will be coming from Lithuania but if they do then they can help Hearts because they are good players.

"[Mindaugas] Baguzis was here on trial and I know him well because we won the championship with Kaunas last season. He is a very good player but it's not up to me to decide.

"It is up to the manager who has been watching the trialists to decide if they can be helpful to Hearts or not."

Taken from the Scotsman