Hearts enter 'exciting' new partnership with SPFL club as two players depart Tynecastle on loan transfers
Hearts have confirmed the agreement with the local side currently playing at League Two level.
Hearts have struck a co-operation agreement with Edinburgh City as two players head across the city to Meadowbank on loan.
The League Two side have linked up with Tynecastle officials in a deal that allows younger talents to make unlimited moves back and forward between the pair for the next 12 months. It comes after Hearts reached a similar agreement with Lowland League East side Bonnyrigg Rose as youth player development continues in Gorgie. Last season, Hearts had deals in place with St Johnstone, Montrose and the Spartans.
Stanley Wilson, the brother of Hearts first-team striker James, is one player to head to the Citizens after impressing with the B team and under-19s last season. The teenage midfielder is a Scotland youth international and appeared 22 times in the Lowland League for Hearts’ B team last season well as six Challenge Cup outings. Wilson helped Hearts win the Scottish Youth Cup and is joined at Edinburgh City by Tommy North after the forward spent some time in League One last season on a co-operation loan to Montrose.
What have Hearts said about co-operation loan with Edinburgh City?
Goalkeeper Jack Lyon has joined Bonnyrigg Rose as part of that arrangement. Michael McIndoe’s City side avoided demotion out of the SPFL through play-off success against Highland League champions Brora Rangers in May after a 15-point deduction provided an immediate setback at the start of last season.
A Hearts statement reads: “Heart of Midlothian is pleased to confirm we have entered into a cooperation agreement with Edinburgh City FC As part of the deal, Stanley Wilson and Tommy North have joined The Citizens on cooperation loans.”
Edinburgh City added: “Edinburgh City are delighted to announce that the club has signed a Co-operation Agreement with Heart of Midlothian FC. This is an exciting new partnership between the two Capital clubs.
Will Edinburgh City succeed this season?
McIndoe, speaking last month, reckons Edinburgh City have the groundwork laid for a bright future. He said: "We've got to start with minus 5, I get it. I've been in the job about two-and-a-half seasons and, in that time, we've had 26 points deducted, two transfer embargoes, lost a whole squad one Christmas and, on top of that, we have the smallest budget with the smallest group of players. It's been extremely challenging, but in a good way. I've achieved things in football but keeping the club up has been the biggest of them all.
"I knew once we got our key players back, and gelled them with what we had, that it would take a very off-day on both legs to lose the play-off against Brora. We played Dumbarton the week before and we did exceptionally well to beat them 5-0, so we have the makings of a very good group, not to mention the players we've just added.
"I've been in the office and working. I've probably been the busiest manager in League Two with the signings we've made. I like to get my business done nice and early. I also think the board and the owners have learned a lot. Football is fast and fluid and there is very little room for error on and off the pitch. If you give me a level playing field, I reckon we can blow teams away.