Breaking Hearts Ties Will Be Hard To Swallow, Reveals Alexander Schwolow

Alexander Schwolow has described his year at Hearts as the best of his career as he eyes a rousing farewell night against Sturm Graz on Tuesday.

It emerged earlier this month that the German goalkeeper – a key member of the team that went agonisingly close to winning the William Hill Premiership last season – will be returning to his homeland to join Bundesliga side Mainz after the second leg of the Champions League second qualifying round tie at home to the Austrians.

Hearts have already signed Dutchman Beau Roos to replace him, but Schwolow is set to keep goal for one final time against Graz as Wouter Vrancken’s side attempt to eat into a 4-0 first-leg deficit.

“I must say, it was no sporting decision,” Schwolow said at a press conference at Tynecastle. “I felt completely happy at Hearts, from the moment I came here I was being welcomed from everybody.

“It was amazing, it was so much fun to play here. I liked everybody, starting from the locker room to the fans and everybody, but it was a family decision.

“I’m not only a football player, I’m a husband and a father as well and I just felt, for my family, they couldn’t settle as I would have liked and I just had to make a tough decision to ask (sporting director) Graeme Jones if it’s possible to go back home, close to my hometown where I’m born, so we have all the support from my family.

“I will be forever grateful for Graeme and his understanding.”

Schwolow, 34, joined Hearts last August and admitted it will “hurt forever” that the most enjoyable season of his career did not end in glory.

“I think it started amazing with four wins and four clean sheets and amazing chaos in between,” he said. “I remember the Motherwell game, also the clashes against the Old Firm and so many nice stories and experiences also with the guys from last year, it was just such a good group and it still hurts while I’m sitting here, it will hurt forever in my life.

“But overall if someone asks me, I will always say it was maybe the best season or the most enjoyable season of my life. Maybe you can compare it to one season I had with Arminia Bielefeld, my first professional season when we ended it with two cup championships in the third league in Germany.

“I hadn’t heard of Hearts before I signed, but it was just amazing from the moment I came here.”

Meanwhile, boss Vrancken has challenged his Hearts players to conjure a night to remember at Tynecastle.

“For sure, it’s difficult when you’re four goals behind,” said the Belgian. “But we have to go for a magical, historic night. That’s the aim. We have to go all in.

“In football, you never know what’s going to happen, so we have to believe in that scenario. Altogether, we also want to perform well and take confidence into the next games.”