Jose Goncalves believes a spell spent away from Hearts has helped to reignite his career.
Hearts star reaping the benefits of German loan spell
Jose Goncalves believes a spell spent away from Hearts has helped to reignite his career.
The Portuguese defender spent the whole of last season on loan at German outfit Nurnberg after being deemed surplus to requirements at Tynecastle.
However, he insists that he never feared for his future in Scotland and claims he has returned to Hearts a better player.
"I think it was the best thing to do, to go away and to start again," said Goncalves.
"But when I came back to Hearts, I was feeling like new and this is very important to me."
Ambition
Goncalves has become a first-team regular under Csaba Laszlo this season, with his form helping to catapult him into international contention.
He was named in Portugal's provisional squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers, and only narrowly missed out on the final cut.
The 24-year-old is refusing to let that snub dent his confidence, though, and is confident he will be awarded an opportunity to prove his worth in the future.
"If you are at a club and you are working hard and you are doing very well, I think everyone can see it," he said.
"They will make the decision because of that, not because you play for Hearts or you play for Manchester United."
