Both the Hearts and Hibs players will be left in no doubt of the expectations they carry when they walk out to a raucous Tynecastle shortly before 3pm on Saturday. Another intriguing sub-plot to the tussle is the growing Australian connection to the game.

Hearts midfielder Calem Nieuwenhof, for one, is hoping the Aussie contingent in Gorgie are left smiling. Nieuwenhof linked up with fellow countrymen Cammy Devlin, Kye Rowles and Nathaniel Atkinson, who misses out through injury, when he made the move from Western Sydney Wanderers during the summer. Australian Lewis Miller and Socceroo Martin Boyle ply their trade across the city’s fierce footballing divide, while Nieuwenhof used to be a team-mate of Adam Le Fondre at Sydney FC.

“There’s heaps of Aussies in both teams so I’m sure that will just add to it,” said Nieuwenhof. “I know a few of the boys over in that team and I’ve played with a couple. I played with Adam Le Fondre back in Sydney and also Lewis Miller growing up, played with him. Myself and Lewis are kind of from the same area back in Australia, he was an age group above me but we’ve always been in and around the same sort of teams so I know him quite well.

Hearts' Calem Nieuwenhof will make his first Edinburgh derby appearance on Saturday.

“We’re not so much in a WhatsApp group together. Normally both of us keep pretty much to ourselves, the Hearts boys keep a bit to themselves and Hibs boys keep to themselves as well. I know we’re all just going to go out there and put our best foot forward and try to win the games for our teams.”

Although Nieuwenhof is new to the Edinburgh derby experience, he has a good idea of what to expect from new Hibs boss Nick Montgomery after going up against his Central Coast Mariners team in the A-League. He added: “I know back in Australia he did a really great job with the Mariners and the team he created was a really fast paced style of football, really aggressive players. I’m expecting more of the same and I know he’ll be trying to fire them up. I’m expecting a fiery match and I’m sure they will be up for it as will we.”

Nieuwenhof also hopes his experience of the Sydney derby back home stands him in good stead for what’s to come in Gorgie. The playmaker, who played for both of the Sydney teams, added: “Back in Australia the derbies were my favourite games. We played a few last season and they always had the biggest crowd and had the most emotion in them and they were the most fiery. They’re the games you want to play in as a player and makes me really look forward to the game.

"The best match in the league is against Sydney FC, they have the biggest crowd, they are the most intense. Those were the games I loved playing in most. hey got really heated, I think all derbies have that extra emotion in the game. That’s what I’m expecting the most, all the players will go out and be aggressive and fiery and make their mark on the game. That’s something we have to be ready for.”

Hearts-Hibs develops intriguing subplot ahead of first derby clash of season