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Following a sensational performance in their 2-1 win over Rangers on Bank Holiday Monday, with three games to go, Hearts of Midlothian lead the Scottish Premier League by 3 points ahead of Celtic. Rangers just about have one hand on the title.
In goal for “The Jambos” is former Germany U20 international Alex Schwolow. The shot stopper is well-known to Bundesliga followers, particularly from his time with SC Freiburg, where he was coach Christian Streich’s number 1 choice during 8 seasons, including winning the 2. Bundesliga title in 15-16.
Despite being a genuine shooting star capped by the DfB at U18, U19 and U20 levels, his career plateaus after leaving the Europa Park. He’s forced to accept a contract two levels down in the third tier at newly-relegated Arminia Bielefeld. A brief high comes with the East Westphalian’s 3. Liga title win before the Wehen Wiesbaden academy product gains a fresh start with Hertha Berlin, where he plays second fiddle to Norwegian keeper Rune Jarstein.
Despite making 51 appearances, he’s released at the Olympiastadion at the end of the 22/23 season.
A subsequent loan to Schalke brings little relief with just 23 appearances, and the club are relegated at the end of the season. Despite his poor season at Norwich City, Ralf Fährmann is the keeper of choice at the Veltins Arena.
The 30-year-old’s career feels like it has reached a dead end when an opportunity arrives in the form of a two-year contract as coach Urs Fischer comes knocking. The keeper, famed for being a sweeper-keeper with outstanding reflexes, moves to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. This move brings little respite. Despite the demands of an inaugural Champions League campaign, there’s no way of getting past Denmark keeper Frederik Rønnow with die Eisernen.
A way out of a dead end
By summer 2025 at just 32, the career of a once highly-regarded talent feels as if it’s about to fizzle out with no professional contract in sight at the end of the 24/25 season.
Two months later, the German keeper stands in front of his new club’s crest. Schwolow has signed a two-year contract with Hearts of Midlothian of Edinburgh, keeping him at the club until 2027.
Known to friends and fans as Alex, he secured his place in European professional football in the dying moments of the transfer window.
“I was looking for a challenge and an opportunity. The talks with Hearts were very positive right from the start—it felt like the right chance for me,” Schwolow said at the club’s press conference.
Despite his latterly more torturous route through German football, with a market value of €500,000, he becomes the fourth most valuable goalkeeper in a Scottish top tier that includes England’s Jack Butland and Denmark number one Kasper Schmeichel. Not bad for a club that last won a title 65 years ago.
Why Heart of Midlothian?
A run of injuries opened the door for the former 1. FC Union goalkeeper.
The Edinburgh-based team had suffered an unbelievable string of injuries. The side’s main stopper, Craig Gordon, who even at 42 remains first choice, is working on a comeback following a shoulder injury. His replacement, Zander Clark (33), finds himself without a backup after the number 3 choice, Ryan Fulton (29), picked up a debilitating groin injury.
With only hours to go before the 25/26 season kickoff, the club needed to act immediately. They recalled talented 20-year-old Liam McFarlane from his loan spell at Alloa Athletic FC in the Scottish Second Division. At the same time, management scoured the goalkeeper market and came across Alexander Schwolow, available on a free transfer.
Memories of another German between the posts in Scotland immediately sparked the idea. From 1998 to 2007, Dortmund-born Stefan Klos became a club legend in goal for Glasgow Rangers. Schwolow could achieve the same at Hearts of Midlothian, with a little help from former Hearts striker and Borussia Dortmund U23s coach, now of FC Midtjylland, Mike Tullberg, who made the connection.
1. FC Union Berlin has a stellar reputation among UK fans. The club’s philosophy, the stadium experience, the fans—all of it inspires British football supporters, and the German keeper brings not just quality on the pitch but that football romanticism to Tynecastle Park.
A rising star in Scottish football
The atmosphere is electric at Ibrox, with debutant Schwolow and his Hearts side setting the tone in front of 50,697 spectators.
Lawrence Shankland, the centre-forward, finds the net just before half-time (21′) and seals the victory in the dying moments (83′).
Schwolow underscores the validity of the signing with a clean sheet despite Rangers having almost 70 per cent possession and firing five shots on his goal. The 2-0 win is Hearts’ tenth victory in 66 encounters with Rangers.
Kicking off his new football adventure with an away win at Rangers is quite a feat. For Alexander Schwolow, after years of hurt, this feels like the opportunity that could mark a spectacular start to a golden autumn in his career.
Fast forward seven months and 30 appearances later, and Schwolow is far from the only one exceeding expectations at the 19,000-capacity Tynecastle stadium in the Gorgie district on the west side of the city.
A squad punching above its weight
In a squad valued at just £27m—one-fifth of the Glasgow giants—only eight players have a value over £1m in the Maroon and White:
- Portuguese centre-forward Claudio Braga
- Scotland’s Lawrence Shankland
- Kazakh wingers Islam Chesnokov and Alexandros Kyziridis
- Midfielders Cammy Devlin, Marc Leonard, and Beni Baningime
- Brazilian Ageu
Led by coach Derek McInnes—whose trophy cabinet, apart from a 2014 League Cup win with Aberdeen, is limited to second-tier titles with St Johnstone and Kilmarnock—everything just clicks in 25/26. The Jambos just won’t be put in their place.
A happy ending at Tynecastle?
As the club approach the final fling, for one, Derek McInnes is certain the club have the best in the goal mouth at Tynecastle: “Alexander is a quality and highly capable keeper, when you’ve got two quality goalkeepers as we’ve got, it makes one decision at least that bit easier”.
When you consider that 1985 was the last time the famous Scottish league title was lifted by a side other than Rangers or Celtic—when Sir Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen finished top—it becomes clear how remarkable an SPL title win by Hearts would be.
Inevitably, the final games see Schwolow’s team facing the Glasgow giants. Could Hearts actually just go ahead and win the 25/26 title at Parkhead?
Whatever happens, it won’t be as a result of one of the most consistent performers in the league, however it turns out, and most neutrals would love to see Hearts win, this will be a season to remember for more than just the 1.90m man from Wiesbaden.
