Hearts' ant is ready to bite with a meaningful shirt number after internet shutdown

Rogers Mato is finally in the building after protracted signing process that saw some doubt emerge over whether he would end up at Hearts at all, whether they were sitting top of the league or not. The 22-year-old has strengthened Hearts’ Ugandan relations. He will be the fourth player from the country to have turned out for the Tynecastle club after Uche Ikpeazu, Toby Sibbick and David Obua. Mato recalled asking Ikpeazu, now at St Johnstone, about life in Scotland but someone aware enough to ask for the number ‘74’ on the back of his shirt – Hearts were formed in 1874 – does not need any lessons on the club. He had clearly done his own research.

That task was made slightly trickier when he was in Uganda earlier this month, having returned there following the country’s first round elimination at AFCON. Access to the internet was cut due to the Uganda presidential election that was ongoing at the time with long-time incumbent Yoweri Museveni emerging victorious for the seventh time since fist being elected in 1981. Authorities explained that the internet shutdown was to stop the spread of “misinformation”, something described as “deeply worrying” by the UN human rights office.

Another upshot was that it meant Mato’s whereabouts were more of a mystery. “It was difficult to get in contact with my agent, with the coach here, the club there (in North Macedonia), just because of the internet shutdown and I think that was the problem,” he explained.

Reports surfaced suggesting his Macedonian club FK Vardar had signed an agreement for the player with Sporting Kansas City. This flew in the face of Hearts’ insistence he had signed a pre-contract agreement with them. The confusion has now been cleared up to the Tynecastle club’s satisfaction. He has signed initially on loan before his three-year contract begins this summer.

According to Mato, despite being a man in demand, it was always Hearts. “It was not only options in America,” he explained. “It was other clubs as well. My internet, my social medias were buzzing, my phone every time, every day I used to get, like, three to four agents, managers, asking about my situation with the club, they wanted to know my personal terms. But I had one focus and only one place I wanted to go, you know. My focus was Hearts. Yes, Kansas was there, but my focus was here.”

The attraction is obvious. Come in and score the goals that shoot Hearts to a first Scottish title win since 1960, particularly with the first-choice striker currently indisposed due to injury. Lawrence Shankland is on the sidelines and could be many weeks away from returning. The timing of the ebullient Mato’s arrival is more than welcome. He has made an immediate impression on manager Derek McInnes, who described him as “rapid” and stressed how much he admired his determination to stick to his word despite all the outside pressure.

As for Mato, after everything, is he ready to play against Dundee United on Saturday? “I'm always ready, even when I wake up in the morning, I'm always ready,” he smiled. “I don't know the name of this ant, the ant which walks when it's like this (makes pincer signs in the air with his hands). It's always ready to bite, so I'm always ready to bite.”