Garuccio said he was delighted to be at a club like Hearts, given their supporter base and history, as well as the opportunity to play in big fixtures like Saturday night’s clash with Tom Rogic’s Celtic.

“We’re coming up against some fierce opposition,” Garuccio said.

“You start to get a taste for the level of football over here. It’s really exciting.

“You can’t help but be excited to play against the big teams and the derbies. I can’t wait for it all.”

Garuccio added that his early season form was positive, particularly getting forward.

“Obviously that’s a big part of my game,” he said.

“I used to be a left winger so even now when I’m playing left back or left wing-back it’s still a big strength in my game, to hopefully get up the park and provide a few assists.

“It’s nice we’ve got a few big boys up front so it helps crossing the ball when you’ve got a big target.

“It makes life easy for me as a full-back when I’m putting deliveries in, that boys are attacking the ball and scoring goals.

“It’s been a nice start and nice to combine with a few of the players.”