The Olyroos midfielder has been held back by injury since arriving in the Maroon half of Edinburgh, but has still managed two appearances - providing glimpses of the creativity coach Steven Naismith hopes to harness further as the season progresses.

Nieuwenhof - with his deft touch and vision - doesn’t quite fit the template of the hard running Aussie imports in his midst.

The 22-year-old offers a point of difference in a Jam Tarts side which includes the Socceroos trio of Kye Rowles, Nathaniel Atkinson and the warrior-like Cameron Devlin.

And he fits the mould for Naismith, a coach looking to make the Tynecastle club one of the easiest on the eye in the Premiership.

Grand visions aside, Nieuwenhof is out to seize the moment in an environment far removed from his previous incarnations at Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers.

“I’ve had a calf niggle the last couple of weeks but got good minutes in against Aberdeen at the weekend (a 2-0 win) and I’m looking to build from here,” Nieuwenhof told FTBL.

“St Mirren have started really strongly but I think we just need a bit of a streak to be where we want to be on the ladder (currently in fifth spot).

“Both Ryan Strain and Keanu Baccus are important players for them and it seems like you're up against a few fellow Aussies almost every other week in this league.”

Nieuwenhof said the Aussie presence at Hearts was a factor driving his decision to join the club, making the transition from Wanderers seamlessly simple.

“I’m happy with my decision to come here - there’s a respect for Australian players because the boys that have come before and are currently here have tended to do well, and have fitted in to the style of play," he said.

“The coaches here are big on hard working players, big tackles and total commitment and that’s what we’re generally able to produce.

“It’s a really tough league, very physical and at Hearts, where we want to play good positive football, it can be a challenge when we come up teams that want to turn it into a physical battle.

“We have some really classy, ball players in our team - you see it at training every day.

“That’s something that suits me in my role as a player who wants to break down defences.

“The boss here pays great attention to the small details that are so important and he’s helped me a lot.

“We just need to add some consistency as the season goes along. There have been a lot of shock results so far - there are no easy games in this league.”

Nieuwenhof also has an eye on next year’s Paris Olympics, as Australia look to lock down qualification.

“It’s something I want to be a part of - it would be a dream come true,” he added. “There’s a huge focus on that. I think we have a really talented group with a lot of depth. 

“Things are looking positive and if we get there I think we’ll give it a really good go.”