Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson insists there is no chance that defender Callum Paterson will be unsettled by Wigan’s failed pursuit of the defender.
The transfer window closed on Wednesday night with the 21-year-old remaining at Tynecastle, despite the English Championship outfit having three separate bids turned down.
Paterson, who is currently away on Scotland duty ahead of Sunday’s World Cup qualifier in Malta, has so for stalled on agreeing a contract extension, with his current deal due to expire next summer.
But Neilson is adamant that the right back will not lose focus following intense interest from the Latics.
Neilson said: “There had been nothing else with Callum, Wigan were the only team that showed an interest. In the end they didn’t follow it through and I’m delighted to keep him because he will be a really good player for us. I’m pleased.
“Callum will definitely not let it unsettle him. He’s an experienced player, although he’s still moderately young in football terms, he’s played a lot of games and he’s played at a higher level – he’s away with the international team at the moment.
“If you look at the international team at the moment, there were five or six of them involved in moves, it’s second nature for these boys at the moment.”
The transfer window closed without Neilson adding to the seven new recruits he signed earlier this summer.
Neilson can still sign unattached players but admits no-one has caught his eye so far.
He added: “We did all our business early and we got what we wanted to bring in. We’d have liked to have brought in a left-sided midfield player but there wasn’t anything out there that we felt was better than what we’ve got at the moment. The likes of Sam Nicholson, Jamie Walker and Robbie Muirhead can play out there as well.
“We’re happy with the squad. People can start panicking at the end of the transfer window and we just wanted to do things early, we did that with the majority of them.”
Neilson, meanwhile, hopes Juanma’s temporary departure works out well for the player after the out-of-favour striker returned to his homeland to join UCAM Murcia on a season-long loan deal on Wednesday.
He added: “I have been very honest with all of them about my plans. I’ve got four strikers (Tony Watt, Conor Sammon, Robbie Muirhead and Bjorn Johnsen) doing really well. Juanma was fifth in line and he wants to go and play games. It was an opportunity for him to go back and play in the second league in Spain at a decent club.”
