Scottish starlet Craig Thomson has revealed how trying to "bend it like Beckham" as a kid helped turn him into a dead-ball specialist.
The 19-year-old right-back was named Clydesdale Bank Young Player of the Month for September having impressed in his last seven starts and nailed down his role as Hearts’ designated set-piece taker.
But Thomson admits it is the hours of studying David Beckham's deadball accuracy and adopting the England international's training routines and ethics, which have honed those skills.
He told The Sunday Mail: "I've always watched Beckham and looked up to him as a role model.
"His delivery from free-kicks is so good. I just try to copy what he has been doing. I read Beckham's autobiography and he used to hang tyres from the goalposts and whip the ball in.
"I've never had any tyres to do that but I put bibs in the corners of the goals and try to hit them.
"When I started watching Beckham he was scoring free-kicks all the time for Manchester United.
"I was second-top scorer for the Under-19s last season but it was mainly free-kicks and penalties. I only got two from open play."
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The 19-year-old right-back was named Clydesdale Bank Young Player of the Month for September having impressed in his last seven starts and nailed down his role as Hearts’ designated set-piece taker.
But Thomson admits it is the hours of studying David Beckham's deadball accuracy and adopting the England international's training routines and ethics, which have honed those skills.
He told The Sunday Mail: "I've always watched Beckham and looked up to him as a role model.
"His delivery from free-kicks is so good. I just try to copy what he has been doing. I read Beckham's autobiography and he used to hang tyres from the goalposts and whip the ball in.
"I've never had any tyres to do that but I put bibs in the corners of the goals and try to hit them.
"When I started watching Beckham he was scoring free-kicks all the time for Manchester United.
"I was second-top scorer for the Under-19s last season but it was mainly free-kicks and penalties. I only got two from open play."
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