
Braga looking to up his game in Gorgie
And the Portuguese-born forward (pictured left by Nigel Duncan) admitted that the 12,940 attendance was the largest he had ever played in front of in his professional career.
Braga thoroughly enjoyed the Tynecastle experience and naturally hopes for more.
Tonight (Tuesday, 19.45) Hearts are on their travels and visit Broadwood Stadium to face Scottish League One outfit, Hamilton Academical, who won their opening game 2-0 at Scottish League Two side Stirling Albion on Saturday.
Naturally, the man who arrived from Norwegian football after a spell in the lower leagues in his native country, hopes to get the nod for a second time from head coach, Derek McInnes, who admitted recently that the player was one of the top targets for the Tynecastle team.
McInnes was impressed with Baga's attitude and his determination to improve, and the player is impressed with what he has seen of the former Kilmarnock and Aberdeen boss.
Braga said: 'He is a great guy, and I am not just saying this for you (the media). He can tell the message in a good way.'
The affable player is also impressed with what he has seen of teenage striker James Wilson. Braga said: 'He has achieved a lot for his age, but he's a humble guy and I'm looking forward to keep working with him.'
And Braga is under no illusions about the challenges which lie ahead. He faces stiff competition for a place in the starting line-up, despite arriving in Gorgie with a three-year contract and a good scoring record.
The fans got their first site of the newcomer on Saturday, and he showed some touches in the 4-1 win, starting on the left side of the Tynecastle team, and then, after instructions from McInnes, moving more into the centre of the pitch.
Braga expected it to be physical in Scotland and it was on Saturday against Neil Lennon's side, but Braga feels that Hearts have a quality squad.
The 25-year-old, signed from Norwegian First Division football, where attendances only reach around 10,000 fans, added: 'Saturday was just the beginning. It was hard. It was physical. That was what I was expecting and I need to adapt to the type of football I will be playing here.'
It will be hard again against John Rankin's men at Broadwood and competition for a spot in the starting line-up could increase soon as Braga could be joined by two other newcomers this week.
Albanian winger Saba Kerjota and Pierre Landry Kabore, a Burkina Faso international who has been playing in Estonia, are reported to be in Scotland's Capital and are said to be close to clinching deals.
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