Aaron Hickey played in the youth teams at Heart of Midlothian and Celtic, before he returned to Hearts where he made his senior debut in April 2019 followed by starting the Scottish League Cup final against Celtic.

His first senior goal was the winner in the Edinburgh derby as Hearts beat Hibernian 2-1 at Easter Road in September 2019 - Hickey was just 17 years old.

“That goal is a big highlight of my life,” Hickey revealed.

“When I was a young boy at Hearts, I used to go to my local pitch and pretend to score in a Hearts v Hibs derby. I’d run away celebrating like the fans were going mental!

“I always dreamt of doing that, then it became true. That was a major moment for me.”

In 2020, Hickey completed a move to Italian side Bologna. He made his first Serie A appearance on 28 September in a 4-1 victory over Parma.

His impressive performances meant he was nominated for the 2021 Golden Boy award, with Barcelona’s Pedri pipping him to the accolade.

The following season he scored his first goal for Bologna in a 2-2 draw with Genoa and ended the campaign becoming the first Scot to score five goals in a single Serie A season since Graeme Souness with Sampdoria.

He is also one of four Scots to score in Italy’s top flight with Souness, Joe Jordon and Denis Law the only other Scots to get on the scoresheet in Italy’s top flight.

“Going around Italy and playing at different stadiums was a massive experience,” said Hickey.

“Playing at the San Siro is like playing at the Colosseum! I liked [Paolo] Maldini and his long hair when I was growing up. Playing there was class.”

Hickey was rewarded for his performances in Serie A with his first Scotland call-up in March 2022. He made his debut against Poland on 24 March.

After impressing in Italy with Bologna, Hickey returned to the British Isles to complete a move to Brentford in the summer of 2022.

He played 26 Premier League games in his first season at Brentford, becoming a regular at right-back.

His second season at the club was disrupted by a hamstring injury that he picked up during the 2-0 victory at Chelsea in October 2023, which saw him miss the remainder of the campaign.