Frankie Kent sends emotional Hearts message after exit as Claudio Braga wowed by major award in first season
The defender is one of a few Hearts players to depart the club at the end of their contracts.
Frankie Kent has bid a fond farewell to Hearts after exiting the club at the end of his contract - as Claudio Braga looks to build on an impressive first term in Gorgie.
The centre-back joined in 2023 from Peterborough United and made 95 appearances for the club, playing his part as they finished second in the Premiership earlier this month, unlocking Champions League qualifiers. He is one of four players to move on from Hearts at the end of their deals, alongside Beni Baningime, Alan Forrest and Lewis Neilson, while captain Lawrence Shankland signed for Rangers on Tuesday.
Kent has now addressed his exit from Tynecastle and admits it’s a stint he won’t forget in a hurry. What comes next for the 30-year-old is not yet clear, but one thing is for certain, that Hearts will remain a special time in his career when reminisced upon in years to come.
Frankie Kent on exit from Hearts
“It has been an honour to play for this club,” Kent said in an emotional address via social media. “The last three years have been unforgettable and better than I could have ever imagined. Thank you for welcoming me and my family and making my time in Edinburgh so special. So many people to thank including team mates, staff and fans but honestly everyone that has supported me and the team throughout my time, all I can say is I'm so grateful and thankful. This club will stick with me and my family forever. See you all soon and best of luck.”
With key exits like Kent, striker Braga will be expected to step up and be a key player, in what will be his second season at Hearts after joining last summer from then-Norwegian second tier side Aalesunds. He scooped both PFA Scotland Player of the Year and the Scottish Football Writers Association equivalent after 17 goals and six assists during his debut maroon campaign. That type of recognition was not a height he expected to scale in his first season.
“From the beginning, I really didn't have any idea that I could even go close to this prize or close to have this individual season, to be honest,” admitted Braga. “It's very special. I feel some votes, people can say that that can be a little bit not true or this player doesn't deserve all that, but getting vote by the players that play with me, against me and still get the recognition from them, I think it's very special for me. It's the first prize that I received in Scotland and it was really special because I wasn't expecting at all from the beginning of the season to get to that point where I could win a prize or something like that. When I look at the names of all the players that have won before, it's even more special, to be honest, because they'll be historical. They'll stay forever and that's just amazing.”
The 25/26 term ultimately ended in pain for Hearts as they lost a historic league title on the final day during a defeat at Celtic. That doesn’t take the shine away from what was a brilliant term under boss Derek McInnes and Braga himself enjoyed an outstanding introduction to Scottish football. He feels the way McInnes set up the Hearts team over the season set him up for success, and when the team performed well, it was no surprise that he also thrived. His main goal initially was to become a starter but objectives quickly changed as form developed. He’ll now be viewed as a key man heading into the 26/27 schedule.
Claudio Braga on first season at Hearts
“I think it was good season as an individual,” added Braga as he discussed his award with PFA Scotland. “I think it was also ups and downs, of course, like normal, but luckily for me, I never got injured. I could play every game. I was available for every game and of course, when the team is doing so good, then when you're a striker and everybody else around you is doing so well, then of course you're going to end up doing good stuff also.
“So that happened with me. I just try to play my game, and luckily for me, I was lucky enough to fit perfectly in the Hearts system. I think that helped also a lot. I run my a** into the ground every game and then goals came also with that and of course, the team playing the way the team was playing, I was 100% sure that one of the players would be in that part of the prize for sure.
“In the beginning, my big focus was just try to start in the team. I was new in the team, that was my first year in any first league, I never played in a first league. So for me, it was everything that was really new, but at the same time, I knew that I could just come in and Hearts also, when they bought me, they wanted for me to be a big part in the team. So that was also them that gave me confidence and after that, when I start playing more and more, I start understanding that I could be a little bit more than just trying to start. When the team again start doing well, then I start doing well. But from the beginning, I really didn't have any idea that I could even go close to this prize, or close to have this individual season to be honest.”
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