Hearts star James Wilson insists he's delighted he stayed in Scottish football because he's learning on the job.

New Tynecastle boss Derek McInnes praised the Scotland international this week and pinpointed the 18-year-old as a player who excites him.

Wilson smashed a 138-year-old record when he became Scotland's youngest-ever international in March and he also became the first player to be capped for the Under 21s after playing for the full team, when he started in last week's 2-1 defeat in Slovakia.

McInnes said: "His movement is really top class in and around the box. He works in tight spaces. And he's proven that he's a good footballer. He can see that and he knows his way to goal. So the more goal threats you have, the better.

"Getting that balance, having the right type of strikers. I want to work with four or five strikers at the top end of the pitch and everybody's got to be able to give something a wee bit different. And I think James is one of the boys that's got a lot to offer.”

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Wilson has already had offers to move down south before he signed his first deal at Hearts and was linked with a big money move to Newcastle United earlier this year too.

But he's made clear how much he has relished getting a taste of first team football in Gorgie.

Wilson said: "I have learned so much this season. That was one of the reasons I stayed in Scottish football, because you learn on the job basically.

"Picking up things off Lawrence Shankland and Steven Naismith earlier when he was manager has been brilliant for me.

"I'm learning the game in front of a big crowd where we are expected to win and for a team like Hearts, we probably didn't do that as much as we should have this season.

"I got that exposure here though and if I had gone down south, I wouldn't have got that."

And he can't wait to link up again with Steve Clarke's squad for the friendlies against Iceland and Liechtenstein.

He said: "When I was with Scotland earlier this year, the standard was just so high.

"We have players at the top of their leagues in England and Italy and to see how they act around the training camp was incredible.

"It's the little things and it was all about learning every day. I was loving it."