Hearts: Celtic experience led Viktor Noring to Tynecastle

Viktor Noring was on loan to Celtic in 2013

Hearts signing Viktor Noring fell in love with Scottish football while on loan to Celtic despite never making it into the first team.

The 25-year-old Swede says his experience persuaded him to move to Tynecastle after leaving Lyngby.

"I had some other options, but Hearts was my number one all the time," said the goalkeeper.

"The last time I was here, I felt really good. When I was living in Glasgow, everything was perfect."

Noring has played little first-team football at his last three clubs - Bodo/Glimt in Norway, Heerenveen in the Netherlands and then Lyngby in Denmark.

But he has been brought in by head coach Robbie Neilson to challenge Jack Hamilton, the 22-year-old who recently received his first call-up to the senior Scotland squad, for a starting place with Hearts.

And, after a successful trial, he signed just in time to travel to Malta for the second qualifying round of the Europa League against Birkirkara on Thursday.

Paul Gallacher, Noring and Hamilton will vie for a starting place

"The way I'm playing as a keeper, it suits me playing in Scotland," said Noring. "Playing physical suits me well.

"That was the main reason I wanted to come back, because the country suits me and the people are very kind. And the football is very good too."

Noring was with Trelleborgs when he had loan spells with both Malmo and Celtic, where Fraser Forster and Lukasz Zaluska stood between him and a starting place three years ago.

"It was the first time I moved abroad," he recalled. "You get to know yourself a little bit more and the training at Celtic was a step up. So you learn a lot.

"Fraser was there and Lukasz was number two, so it was a good learning experience to be there.

"I like the mentality of the people. They are very open-minded and helpful and easy to work with.

"Everyone is straight on about what they think of things. If you are doing something good, they will say it, but if you are doing something bad, they will say it also. I like that mentality."