Hearts boss Robbie Neilson has insisted he is happy with his side’s "big and physical" tag – because he thinks Scottish footballers have been too lightweight for years.

Opposition players and managers have branded Hearts as a "physical" team in recent weeks, with imposing players such as Callum Paterson, Blazej Augustyn, Igor Rossi and Osman Sow in the line-up.

But Neilson takes the term as a compliment, and said he wants strong, tall players to help develop his youngsters to make the step up from the Scottish Premiership later in their careers.

Neilson said: "I'm actually pleased people are saying that about us.

"I'd rather people were saying the good things about us rather than commenting on the bad things.

"I think athleticism is a very good thing. For a long time Scottish football hasn't had it.

"That's why we struggle in Europe or in the international game. Scotland go away and play against teams that are all big athletic players.

"We have to be like that as well.

"People sometimes focus on these things because we're not used to having big athletic players in Scotland. We're used to having guys at 5ft 4in or 5ft 5in.

"You need to have guys who are strong and also guys who have that technical ability. As soon as they guys here have both, they are away down to England.

"There's no point us having a team full of Scottish guys who aren't as strong, as quick or as athletic as the guys they might face down south."

"At the start of last season we played Man City and I looked at their players and thought 'if our guys want to get to that level then they have to have guys that they compete against in training'.

"We played Everton this summer and it was the same again. It really opens your eyes to the physicality and athleticism you do need if you want guys to go to the top level.

"When you are doing well, people always try to look for flaws in what you are doing.

“Some folk have latched on to this 'physicality' term but if you look at the way we play, we're a very technical team.

"Yes we have guys who are very athletic, but they can still play."