Two FBK players have joined the ranks of the Scottish vice-champion Edinburgh club - goalkeeper E.Kurskis and forward A.Klimekas from the strongest Lithuanian team have moved to Scotland under a regular loan agreement.
30-year-old E.Kurskis has been participating in the "Hearts" trials for a couple of weeks and has performed well enough to convince coach Valdas Ivanauskas to keep him in the team. Meanwhile, the older A.Klimekas arrived in Edinburgh a little later and also joined the Scottish club amid a crisis of injuries to forwards.
The experienced goalkeeper played 19 matches for "Kaunas" this year and conceded only 12 goals, becoming the Lithuanian champion for the sixth time in seven years and making it to the top 20 in the "A League" player rankings. On the other hand, the forward from Poland played over 30 matches, starting on the bench 13 times and scoring 8 goals.
"Both of them will need to adjust to the team and regain their physical form. I hope they will help us," said V.Ivanauskas about the new members of the team.
These are likely not the only new players for "Hearts" in January - as Klaipeda "Atlantas" president Vacys Lekevičius told the newspaper "Vakarų ekspresas," his 22-year-old son signed a five-year contract with the Edinburgh club. After spending last season in the reserves of "Atlantas," the goalkeeper should play a similar role in the Scottish team.
In addition, "Hearts" should soon add Mindaugas Bagužis from "Kaunas" as a defender, and the club is also interested in Ognjen Koroman, a Serbian winger on loan from "Portsmouth." The 28-year-old Serbian national team player is on loan from "Terek" Grozny to the English "Premier League," but has only played three matches in the league this season.