Ex Hearts ace seals transfer to Scottish club as he's handed 'fresh opportunity' after high level experience

A former Hearts player has completed a move to the Scottish Championship in his latest transfer.

Clubs across the country are doing deals and the Jambos have been one of the most active. Signings like Claudio Braga have already hit the ground running in the club’s Premier Sports Cup group stage campaign and more arrivals are set to be unveiled before the end of the window.

Former players are also on the move and one of them is Harry Cochrane. The midfielder came through the ranks at Hearts and after leaving Queen of the South at the end of last season, he has signed a one-year deal with Arbroath. Under co-manager David Gold and Colin Hamilton, the Gayfield side earned promotion to the second tier ahead of this campaign.

Harry Cochrane signs for Arbroath

A statement reads: “Welcome Harry! Arbroath FC is delighted to announce the signing of Harry Cochrane on a one-year deal, subject to SFA approval. The 24-year-old central midfielder joins the club following his departure from Queen of the South, and will be part of the squad for the upcoming 2025/26 season.

“Cochrane began his senior career with Heart of Midlothian and has gone on to represent clubs including Dunfermline Athletic and Queen of the South, gaining regular experience in Premiership, Championship and League One. Welcome to Gayfield Harry!”

The co managers of Arbroath said of the ex Jambo: “Harry’s a young player, but he’s played a lot of games at high levels, and we feel that he can be a good fit for how we want to play. It’s a fresh opportunity for him, and we’re happy to have him in the door.”

Harry Cochrane on time at Hearts

Now 24, Cochrane is a product of the Hearts youth system. He is famed for scoring the opening goal in Hearts' 4–0 win over Celtic on 17 December 2017,[13] a result that ended Celtic's 69-game unbeaten run in domestic matches.[14] In doing so he became the club's youngest league goalscorer, having became the first SFA Performance School graduate to start a Scottish Premiership game when debuting vs Dundee earlier that campaign.

In total he made 33 Hearts appearances before leaving for Queen of the South in 2021. Speaking in 2023 of adapting to life after Hearts in the lower leagues, Cochrane said: “It is different, a bit more physical games than technical. I’ve been trying to improve that side of my game. Hopefully I can work my way back up because everybody wants to play at the top level. I just sort of see it as a stepping stone.

“You are playing on astroturf most weeks, and probably not the best astros. You are training on astro every day and there is that physical side. I’m not saying it wasn’t physical at the top level with Hearts, but probably the lower down you go, the less time you get on the ball. Since I left Hearts, I think I’ve put on about seven kilograms. I don't know if that’s just me growing, or if it’s my eating or doing the gym a bit more. I feel I’ve put on a wee bit of muscle and you need that in football now. A lot of it is physical and I’m not the quickest, as you know, so I need to try and build my game up in other ways.”