Your guide to the next phase of Aussie football's 'win

In his latest column for KEEPUP, Edinburgh Evening News & The Scotsman journalist Barry Anderson previews the upcoming Scottish Premiership season with an Australian lens. It all kicks off this Saturday night AEST.

Australian presence remains strong as the 2023/24 Scottish football season prepares to begin this weekend. Players from Down Under continue to view this country as ripe ground for developing their careers, which is testament to our league’s standing in the European landscape.

Calem Nieuwenhof and Marco Tilio are the latest to swap the A-League for Scotland with the hope of progressing as footballers. Nieuwenhof joined Hearts from Western Sydney Wanderers in a six-figure move, whilst Tilio’s A$2million switch to Celtic from Melbourne City broke Australia’s outbound transfer record.

Both players are in their early-20s and earned their respective clubs useful income in a develop-and-sell model. Scottish clubs know they can get value for money in the Australian market by recruiting hungry young men desperate to maximise their potential in Europe. It’s a win-win scenario for all concerned and supporters here are very receptive to the trend.

The @JamTarts Aussie contingent continues to grow! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇦🇺After signing from @wswanderersfc, Calem Nieuwenhof will join Cam Devlin, Kye Rowles and Nathaniel Atkinson at the Edinburgh club.📰 https://t.co/2vu8cu0M1w pic.twitter.com/6A0Zj7ILGB

Celtic fans, understandably, took some time to come to terms with Ange Postecoglou’s departure for Tottenham Hotspur in June. The Angeball era is over in Glasgow with Brendan Rodgers returning to replace Postecoglou. There was also the untimely retirement of Aaron Mooy, a player who really came into his own in green-and-white hoops last season.

Tilio’s arrival gives Celtic a talented winger with pace and skill who will fit well with the club’s attacking traditions. I’m looking forward to watching how he adapts and hopefully grows in the cinch Premiership over the months ahead. And, of course, Harry Kewell remains a key member of Celtic’s coaching staff.

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Hearts’ Aussie contingent remains four-strong this season after they replaced Garang Kuol with Nieuwenhof. The prodigious Kuol returned to parent club Newcastle United and is likely to be loaned out again this season. Nieuwenhof played in maroon for the first time on Sunday as Leeds United won 1-0 in a pre-season friendly at Tynecastle.

I was fortunate enough to be one of a handful of journalists who interviewed him afterwards. He conducted himself well, spoke intelligently and seemed to fit the stereotypical friendly Australian mould. He even discussed his surfing habits back home and joked that avoiding sharks in the South Pacific Ocean might help him cope with the bites he’ll get in Scottish football.

This is a huge move for Nieuwenhof at the age of 22. He will need time to adjust to the unforgiving pace and physicality of Scottish football, issues which are all the more prominent in his favoured central midfield area. The bonus is he has Cammy Devlin, Kye Rowles and Nathaniel Atkinson to help him settle in Edinburgh. He will also attempt to follow their example by breaking into Graham Arnold’s Socceroos squad. Hearts’ league campaign begins at St Johnstone – still home to Ryan McGowan – on Saturday.

3 seasons at @MelbourneCity. 4 trophies. Marco Tilio will have no issue bringing his winning mentality to @CelticFC 🧠💪📰: https://t.co/uVfhQsEapu pic.twitter.com/590f3VIlMJ

It looked at one stage that we might lose another of Scottish football’s Australian posse over the summer. Keanu Baccus was all set to join Bolton Wanderers from St Mirren in a £250,000 (A$483,000) move which seemed a bit of a bargain. However, that collapsed at the last minute and he remains in Paisley alongside Ryan Strain for now.

Hibs fans are understandably excited about the impending return of Martin Boyle after nine months out with a knee injury. He was an unused substitute in last week’s 2-1 Europa Conference League qualifying defeat to the Andorran side Inter d’Escales. There is every chance his attacking qualities will be utilised in the return leg this Thursday. Hibs’ other Aussies, full-back Lewis Miller and midfielder James Jeggo, are also expected to feature having bedded themselves in last term.

Another former A-Leagues star signs on in the @spfl 🔵➡️🟢After farewelling @SydneyFC, Adam Le Fondre has inked a one year deal with @HibernianFC , linking up with fellow former A-Leagues talents Lewis Miller and Jimmy Jeggo.All the best, @A1F1E9!📸: @HibernianFC pic.twitter.com/dMyK4Sn1Wq

The gathering from Down Under is slowly increasing in Leith with Adam Le Fondre arriving from Sydney FC. The Englishman’s scoring record speaks for itself and he will be confident of hitting the net in this season’s Premiership.

Two other Socceroos dropped out of the Scottish top-flight at the end of last season when Dundee United were relegated to the Championship.

The futures of goalkeeper Mark Birighitti and defender Aziz Behich are unclear. Birighitti has been told by United manager Jim Goodwin that he is free to go after new signing Jack Walton was given the No.1 jersey. Behich did not feature in any of the League Cup group matches during July and was given permission to remain at home in Australia due to family reasons.

Australians in Scotland this season:

Ryan McGowan (St Johnstone)

Nathaniel Atkinson (Hearts)

Kye Rowles (Hearts)

Cameron Devlin (Hearts)

Calem Nieuwenhof (Hearts)

Keanu Baccus (St Mirren)

Ryan Strain (St Mirren)

Lewis Miller (Hibernian)

James Jeggo (Hibernian)

Martin Boyle (Hibernian)

Marco Tilio (Celtic)

Aziz Behich (Dundee United)**

Mark Birighitti (Dundee United) **

** = Second tier.

SPFL Round One Fixtures:

Celtic v Ross County

Dundee v Motherwell

Livingston v Aberdeen

St Johnstone v Hearts

Kilmarnock v Rangers

Hibernian v St Mirren