Hearts make an offer to English defender Joe Wright after previous deal collapsed

Hearts have offered former Doncaster Rovers defender Joe Wright a potential route back into football after a previous deal to sign him collapsed.

The Edinburgh club had agreed terms with the 26-year-old centre-back last May before he suffered knee and ankle damage in Doncaster’s final game of the season against Peterborough United.

That ended prospects of moving to Scotland at that time and he is still recovering after eight months out. Hearts are still interested in looking at the player and have given him an open offer to train at Riccarton and prove his fitness once he feels ready.

Wright remains a free agent as his Doncaster contract expired last summer, at which point he was due to join Hearts for nothing. He will look to rebuild his career once he regains fitness.

Former Doncaster defender Joe Wright has an offer from Hearts.

Rovers continue to help with his rehabilitation and have not yet abandoned hope that he may sign a new contract in South Yorkshire. Both parties agreed to keep dialogue open regarding a possible deal for Wright, who was offered fresh terms by the club last season but failed to reach an agreement.

His final game at the Eco-Power Stadium would have been that match against Peterborough back in May last year. However, Wright fell awkwardly after a collision with the United forward Ricky-Jade Jones and had to be stretchered off the pitch after 29 minutes. He has not played since.

Without a club and desperate to get his career back on track, he is hopeful of playing competitively again at some point before this season ends. Hearts is one of a few options which could potentially lead to a contract if he impresses.

Wright is 6ft 3ins tall and a former Wales Under-21 internationalist. He spent five years at Doncaster between 2016 and 2021. Previously he was on the books at Huddersfield Town and had a brief loan spell at Accrington Stanley.

Hearts opted to sign the Bristol City centre-back Taylor Moore on loan last August following the injury to Wright. They will be in the market for another centre-back this summer after John Souttar signed a pre-contract agreement with Rangers.

Message from the editor

Thank you for reading this article. If you haven't already, please consider supporting our sports coverage with a digital sports subscription.