Defender leaves Scotland for Greece

James Penrice has left Hearts to join AEK Athens in a £2m transfer after paperwork for the move was completed. The defender departed the Edinburgh club’s training camp in Spain early on Friday morning and underwent a medical in the Greek capital before signing a long-term contract.

Hearts earn a fee of just over £2m for Penrice one year after signing him from Livingston for free. They also have a sell-on agreement in the deal with AEK to ensure a portion of any future transfer will be forwarded on to Tynecastle Park. Head coach Derek McInnes admitted the deal was one Hearts could not refuse.

“Brilliant money back, great opportunity for James,” he told the club’s TV channel. “In an ideal world, just in the door, I want to work with him. I've wanted to work with him for a while but sometimes you have got to be fair and understanding of the situation. We took the boy for nothing. There are a lot of people who have done well with his development.

“Naisy [Steven Naismith] was the one that brought him to the club, he deserves a lot of credit for that. But the boy that deserves the most credit is James, he was outstanding in a tough season last year. I always thought from the outside looking in, before I became the Hearts manager, I thought the boy could go again. It's a fantastic opportunity for him.”

In a statement confirming Penrice’s departure, Hearts said: “Heart of Midlothian can confirm we have reached an agreement with AEK Athens for the transfer of James Penrice. The 26-year-old will join the Greek Super League side for an undisclosed fee, subject to international clearance and Scottish FA approval.

“James joined the Jambos on a free in June 2024 and would go on to make 46 appearances in maroon, scoring twice. His performances earned him the Players’ Player of the Year and Fans’ Player of the Year awards at the club’s POTYA, as well as a spot in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year.

“Having made a huge impact at Tynecastle Park, James will now continue his career with a life-changing move to Greece, and everybody at Hearts thanks him for his time in Gorgie and wishes him the very best of luck in Athens.”

Player of the Year leaves Hearts for Greek transfer

Penrice won Hearts’ Player of the Year award last season after many outstanding displays on the left side of defence. Several clubs in England watched him and Hearts were open to a deal this summer after signing Harry Milne from Partick Thistle in January. Penrice took part in Wednesday night’s pre-season friendly against St Mirren in Spain, playing 45 minutes before Milne took over.

Milne and Stephen Kingsley will now compete for the left-back slot at Tynecastle for season 2025/26. Kingsley had been carrying a niggling injury but took part in Friday’s 3-1 win against Crawley Town at the club’s La Finca training base. Milne featured in that game and also played two days previously against St Mirren.

Penrice is the first of potentially several exits from Hearts in the weeks ahead. Six new signings have arrived so far, and captain Lawrence Shankland returned to the squad after agreeing a new three-year contract. The first-team squad now totals more than 30 players and will be trimmed before the summer transfer window closes. A number of fringe players are expected to move, either on loan or permanently, to reduce the size of the group.

Tynecastle officials are also close to signing two new wingers in the shape of Burkina Faso’s Pierre Landry Kabore and Albania’s Sabah Kerjota. Those two could be in Gorgie as early as next week ahead of Saturday’s Premier Sports Cup opening tie against Dunfermline.