Hearts midfielder Arnaud Djoum signs contract extension
His deal was due to expire next summer.
Hearts midfielder Arnaud Djoum has signed a new three-year contract but admits he will leave before it expires if all goes to plan.
Belgian Djoum has made a major impression on Robbie Neilson's team since joining from Polish outfit Lech Poznan last September.
However, the 27-year-old, who has also played in Holland and Turkey, has ambitions to take his career to England.
And while he has committed himself to Tynecastle until 2019 on paper, he has not given up hopes of winning a dream move south.
Djoum said: It was an easy choice to sign again because I have good feeling about this club. I think it has a good future and I get confidence from everybody here. It feels like home.
The manager was also a big part of my decision. He has given me a lot of confidence on the pitch and I'm grateful.
But (England) is always something I'm thinking about. Even though I've signed the new deal it is always a possibility to go there.
I just have to work hard and maybe if I stay one more season I can move on.
In the second year at a club it is always important to improve, to show people that your first season was not down to luck. I want to improve again this year and see what happens.
I still have this ambition to go to a higher level. I preferred to sign a new deal here and be comfortable so I don't have to think too much about transfers. What happens next I don't know but I've always dreamed of playing in England so hopefully next year I can achieve that.''
Hearts will be looking to bounce back from the pain of their shock Europa League exit at the hands of Maltese part-timers Birkirkara when they open their Ladbrokes Premiership campaign at home to champions Celtic on Sunday.
That was a big disappointment and I was really sad after the game,'' said Djoum.It was the first time at Hearts I'd had this bad feeling.
But that happens sometimes in football and maybe it is the shock we needed before the season starts.
We need to work harder and hopefully we can get better. We have a hard start but we have a good team with some new players, so we have quality. We have confidence we can challenge these kind of teams.''