For FM21, I’m going back to the birthplace of football, to try and put one of the game’s dawning brightest nations back where they belong. I’m also experimenting with a new style and format, a fly-on-the-wall style documentary. Enjoy the trailer!

You feeling nervous? It’s terrifying out there, isn’t it guys? Absolutely f*cking terrifying.

I’ve got news for you... That’s how it’s supposed to look.

There are twenty thousand people out there. And they’ve all come down to watch you guys!

In 2020, in the midst of the Coronavirus crisis, one of the oldest names in Scottish football suffered a huge blow.

Where some saw doom, others saw an opportunity.

“We are part of this city, we are at the core of it’s identity. At the core of Scottish football”, says chairman Ann Budge. “Scottish football has a long an proud tradition. The game. the beautiful game, started here. So many greats, Kenny Dalglish, Denis Law, Archie Gemmill, Gordon Strachan, Colin Hendry, Bobby Walker.”

“Cruyff was seen as a revolutionary, but the ideas that he brought to Barcelona are part of a tradition that goes bac to the very first international, played between Scotland and England in Partick in 1872”, says tactics historian Jonathan Wilson. “England had been expected to win; they were more experienced, had more players to call and were a stone heavier per man. So the Scots had to consider how to deal with that.”

“Their answer was to avoid the charging game of that era, and instead keep the ball away from England by passing it around. Back then, that was a hardly practised at all. It worked, however; Scotland secured a 0-0 draw”, continues Wilson, “The Barcelona style Cruyff imposed wasn’t born there. It stretched back beyond that, through Buckingham to McWilliam and before him to ‘Toffee Bob’ McColl and Queen’s Park. Cruyff’s radicalism has a proud lineage.”

Now a historic window opens…

“This club was founded in 1874. It’s one of the oldest in the world. It disputes one of the oldest derbies in the world”, says Chief Executive Andrew McKinlay. “The pressure that brings is enourmous. So when Ross decided to come here… we are just buzzing.”

“We want this club to go back were it belongs. We want to get Scottish football back were it belongs.”

Follow a historic team…

You’ve been working for this. Day, after day, after day. So get out there and play. No excuses. Just play.

… and their new manager…

Do you want to get your names into history? That’s not ink. That’s sweat!

…through the journey of a lifetime.

So go out there and play the game I know you can play. This is your the game!

This is Heart of Midlothian.

This is the Game of our Fathers.