Dean Heffernan celebrated his late call up into the Australia squad by hitting the target in the 2-2 Asian Cup qualifying clash against Kuwait.

Fellow Heart recruit Matt Thompson also enjoyed a taste of the action, coming off the bench in Kuwait City for a brief cameo.

The A-League new boys believe it is a win-win situation for players and club and believe the international experience is a massive plus in terms of quality, confidence and high standards.

Speaking to Heart's official website today, football operations manager John Didulica said: "It's really exciting for them to be involved in such an important match for the Socceroos.

"From the club's perspective, it's important that we have a large core of players with some exposure to international football.

"International football takes a player's awareness of the game to a new level, so the more players in your squad who have been exposed to international football, the higher its professional standards will be."

Heart are working hard to build their inaugural squad with Heffernan, Thompson and Kristian Sarkies already secured along with a couple of youngsters from the AIS.

However, the club are still waiting for FFA approval before officially unveiling their chosen name and colours.