Hearts Archives - Page 2 of 15

Hearts 6-2 Inverness: Hearts into quarters after second half goalfest

Heart of Midlothian 6-2 Inverness Caledonian Thistle C. Borchgrevink (16′) R. Mato (59′) C. Miller (82′ pen, 90’+4) J. Wilson (84′)Cláudio Braga (90’+1) R. Duncan (54′) A. Bavidge (56′) Calvin Miller scored a second half double as Hearts hit Inverness for six to progress to the Scottish League Cup Quarter Final in an entertaining Tynecastle tussle. Inverness looked to have made the perfect start when Alfie Bavidge turned home Alfie Stewart’s cutback from a corner kick. But unfortunately for the visitors, VAR ruled the attacker offside, keeping the scores level. Despite the disallowed goal, Caley had settled well in the opening 15 minutes, keen to carry on their League Cup momentum after topping group F. The Jambos were fresh from their confidence-boosting 1-1 draw against European giants Benfica, and eventually steadied the ship to take the lead. Amadou Ba-Sy seemed to draw contact in the box, and referee Calum Scott pointed to the spot, only for VAR to correctly intervene and award a free kick right on the edge of the penalty area. Hearts moved ahead from the resultant set piece in the 16th minute. Sabah Kerjota’s deflected effort dropped into the path of Christian Borchgrevink, whose looping header sailed over the stranded Ross Munro and into the net. It was a gut punch for the visitors, but a lift for the hosts, who started to enjoy the better chances in an uneventful first period Hearts scored 23 goals from set piece situations last season, and a flowing routine saw a ball fizzed to the unmarked Calvin Miller on the edge of the box. The former Falkirk winger was unable to make a strong connection, and the opportunity petered out in the 25th minute. Sabah Kerjota found space in the box to meet Amadou By-Sy’s low cross on the half-hour mark, but the Albanian crashed his effort off the crossbar when it looked easier to score from 10 yards. Adam MacKinnon did flash over from the edge of the box as the halftime whistle approached for the visitors, but Beau Reus was yet to be fully troubled between the sticks Scott Kellacher’s 80% unbeaten record as Inverness manager was on course to take a hit, but with only a slender deficit, Caley were right in the game at the break. The hosts started strongly in the second half, keen to put the tie beyond the Championship side. Tom Renaud’s 25-yard strike whistled into the side netting, before a left-footed Kerjota effort whistled over. But with a narrow advantage, Thistle only needed to click one time, and they delivered in the 54th minute. A simple long ball from Danny Devine dropped for Ryan Duncan, who had acres of space to control and finish high past Reus with his left foot. Inverness took a stunning lead three minutes after. Stewart broke from a Hearts attack, and slipped a through ball behind Stuart Findlay for Bavidge to chase. The youngster rounded Reus to slot home and send the away allocation into a frenzy. After an extraordinary turnaround, the home support demanded better from their team, who had let their advantage slip in the blink of an eye. Rogers Mato rounded off a bonkers six-minute spell with a close-range header from Kerjota’s right-hand cross. Wrancken turned to his bench on the hour mark, introducing Claudio Braga and Josh McPake in an attempt to find a crucial third goal. The pair linked up moments later, with McPake cutting on his right foot and forcing a goalmouth scramble from the Caley defence. Hearts rounded off the comeback with nine minutes to play in the second half. Noa Butin brought down Kerjota in the box after a clever link-up with Blair Spittal. Calvin Miller held his nerve from the resultant spot kick, drilling high into the top left corner past Munro. James Wilson, Braga, and Miller added gloss to the victory in the final five minutes as Hearts hit the visitors for six. Tynecastle exhaled a collective sigh of relief, and the hosts return to action in Conference League qualifying against Rapid Vienna on Thursday. Hearts: Reus 7 Borchgrevink 8 McCart 7 Findlay 7 Miller 9 Renaud 8 Magnusson 7 Mato 7 Guendouz 7 Kerjota 9 Ba-Sy 5 Substitutes: Spittal 8 Braga 8 Wilson 8 McPake 7 Dhanda 5 Inverness: Munro 5 MacLeod 6 Boutin 5 Devine 5 Savage 4 MacKinnon 5 Shinnie 6 Duncan 6 Bavidge 7 Allan 6 Stewart 7 Substitutes: Sole 5 Bates 5 Longstaff 5 Kargbo 5 MacGregor 4

August 16, 2026

“I’ll do a job for the team at any point”- Calvin Miller on last weekend’s positional switch.

New Hearts signing Calvin Miller made his Tynecastle league debut in a now unfamiliar position- operating as a left-back during Sunday’s win over Dundee United. Miller side for the club last season after a breakout season on the wing for Falkirk, where he scored nine goals and provided eleven assists on John McGlynn’s left flank. But injuries meant he was deployed at left back for Sunday’s match against Dundee United. Whilst not a completely unfamiliar position for Miller- who started his career at Celtic as a fullback, Miller admitted he hasn’t played in defence for a number of years, and doesn’t want to make a habit of it. Speaking after Sunday’s match, he said: “I think about six out of the nine defenders are injured and he asked me if I could do a job. I’m not gonna say no am I? I’m always gonna do what I can for the team. I’m just thankful I came out and it was a good performance. He also admitted he hasn’t played left-back often since leaving Celtic, but he knew what to do to adapt to playing further back. Miller said: “I was just trying to be aggressive in my defending, be touch tight, doing what I don’t like as a winger.” But Miller also joked that he doesn’t want to feature at left-back consistently at his new club, he said: “I don’t enjoy defending if I’m being honest. What winger do you know that does enjoy defending? “I don’t want to say I still enjoy clean sheets cause that’s what the defenders say.” He was also quick to dispel any of his managers talking about retaining his left back spot on Thursday night against Benfica, Miller said: “I’m probably gonna go speak to Harry Milne and say ‘go get yourself back in the group’. “I’ll do a job for the team at any point, but I want to get myself back in my ideal position. That’s how I got myself here.” Miller was also full of praise for the Tynecastle atmosphere, and said it will be needed again on Thursday night, he said: “Last year I was on the other side of it when I came here in the league. I hadn’t got a win and I hadn’t scored a goal here. So to be on the other side of it now, coming here, getting the backing, scoring and winning. The fans all behind us and a class atmosphere- that’s a moment I’ll remember. “When you’ve got that crowd out there backing you as well, Tynecastle can be a tough place to come. We’ll be definitely needing that. The pitch isn’t as big as what it was at Benfica, it’ll be a lot tighter for them to go try and play as well. So we’ll be making it as hard as possible as I keep saying.”

August 11, 2026

“I think we found a new fullback”- Vrancken full of praise for his Hearts side after big win

New Hearts boss Wouter Vrancken was full of praise for his Hearts side after they bagged their first win of the season in style, beating Dundee United 4-0 on Sunday. Hearts have been criticised for their frailty at-the-back this season, but Sunday’s showing is certainly a step in the right direction. Especially for a side who will be aiming to go one better than they did last season. Vrancken wasn’t exactly spoiled for choice with defensive options with Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Stephen Kingsley, Harry Milne, Craig Halkett and Stewart Findlay all unavailable for the match. This resulted in Calvin Miller filling in as a makeshift left-back for the afternoon. The Belgian was delighted with Miller’s attacking performance, which even included getting on the scoresheet. Vrancken said: “I told him already, he doesn’t want to hear it, but we have found a new fullback I think. “The guys were ready. They knew what to do and this is what we want to see. We cannot inly count on 11 players, especially with those amounts of games. It’s good to see that they are all ready and that they can pick up. “I have to say from Cal, it was amazing. Sometimes you take a player out of his position to fill up some gaps… they don’t do it with all their heart. But when you see Calvin play today, it was amazing to see how much he bought into the game. He brought the extra and he was defensively solid. I’m really happy about his performance.” Vrancken even refused to rule out Miller retaining his left-back role for Thursday night’s Europa League clash with Benfica. When speaking on Harry Milne’s fitness, he said: “I don’t know yet. We will not take a risk, of course with him. So we will have to manage those things. It’s not a big issue. I think it was a dead leg from the game before against Sturm Graz. “It’s a minor injury, but we don’t want to take risks, especially with muscles. “We don’t want to use him (Miller) as a long-term fullback. I think he has to work for sure on some points when you want to do it there. It was necessary now. We had to find a solution. We wanted also a lot of offensive impulses from the fullbacks. He gave it all and it was nice.” Calvin Miller aside, Vrancken seemed delighted with his side’s performance as the run out 4-0 winners. He said: “I’m very happy. I think we played some good football. We showed some team spirit, team mentality. It was all in it. I’m just really happy for the players because they worked really hard already. They needed some good results, like we said already before a few times, to create some confidence. You saw that during the game, the confidence growing. You saw the nervousness on the ball was a little bit gone. They had to play, they had to use the spaces and some great goals.” Hearts will look to carry this good form into Thursday night as they’re faced with no small task at Tynecastle against Benfica, trailing 6-1 from last week in Lisbon. It may be a case of managing minutes and aiming to win on the night. They then play host to Inverness in the League Cup on Sunday.

August 10, 2026

Alexandros Kyziridis to depart Hearts

Hearts boss Wouter Vrancken has confirmed the club have accepted a bid for winger Alexandros Kyziridis. Kyziridis arrived last season on a free transfer from Slovenian side NS Mura as one of Jamestown analytic’s first signings. The winger provided four goals and seven assists during his season in maroon. The Greek has been subject to speculation for a number of weeks now and it seems he will move closer to home as he closes in on a move to Turkey for a reported £1,700,000. Speaking after his sides win over Dundee United Hearts boss Wouter Vrancken said: “We accepted a bit for Alex. “I think it’s a good deal for him, for sure.But also for the club, when he comes in for nothing and goes with a good bit. “It’s also a transfer window. When the transfer window is open, it’s part of football.” The club have already added a number of wingers this summer with Josh McPake and Calvin Miller netting their first goals in maroon today. Sabah Kertoja also looks to be a bigger part of Hearts’ plans this season. Speaking on his options out wide, Vrancken said: “I’m happy to see it. Everybody has to feel to take their chance. “Everybody has to be ready to take their chances. I think both wingers (McPake and Sabah Kerjota) did well today. “We still have Sabri (Guendouz) there, he also can play there. Cal Miller, who is playing full-back, of course. “They showed that they are ready, so I’m happy to see that.”

August 9, 2026

Vrancken seals first win in style: Hearts 4-0 Dundee United

New Hearts boss Wouter Vrancken secured in his first in charge of Hearts as his side dismantled Dundee United 4-0 at Tynecastle Park. It was a fast start at Tynecastle as Hearts midfielder Tom Renaud beat Jack Walton with an excellent strike from range in the opening minutes to score his second goal in as many games. Hearts continued to apply pressure in the opening 10 minutes as Claudio Braga went close. They then had a penalty appeal as Jamie McCart looked to be fouled in the box. Referee Kevin Clancy pointed to the spot after going to the monitor and Calvin Miller had no issue converting from the spot to put Hearts two goals up within 12 minutes. Following Miller’s goal, Dundee United would slightly grow into the game, but faced issues breaking down Hearts’ defence. United’s first chance of the afternoon fell to Lachlan Rose in the 25th minute, but his header was deflected wide for a corner. The ball fell perfectly to United captain Dylan Tait on the edge of the box moments later, but his shot was also blocked. Hearts went close to adding a third on the half-hour mark as Amadou Ba-Sy forced Walton to save from distance. Hearts retained possession as Braga struck the post. Tom Renaud was first to pounce on the loose ball, but failed to convert the rebound. United would go up the park, but Rose’s headed effort was once again deflected for a corner. Rose was pulled up for a foul on Sabah Kertoja short before half-time, going Ba-Sy and Daniel Bennie in the referee’s book. United were straight out the traps in the second half as substitute Zac Sapsford carried the ball forward, he laid the ball off for Australian compatriot Rose, but his tame effort was blocked. United continued their early second half pressure as the fans appealed for a penalty but VAR did not award a spot-kick. Moments later Hearts had their third as Claudio Braga cooly finished into the bottom corner. Three nearly became four as Kertoja drifted past Will Ferry in the box, but his one-on-one was brilliantly saved by Walton. Josh McPake netted Hearts’ fourth after playing a one-two with Braga, the winger then displayed an excellent first-time finish to Walton’s far post. He joined Calvin Miller in netting his first Hearts goal this afternoon. Hearts didn’t let United off the hook in th quest for a fifth as Braga’s close range effort was saved by Walton 15 minutes from time. United went close to a consolation goal in the closing stages, but Idjessi Metsoko failed to latch onto Sapsford’s cross at the back post. Jim Goodwin’s side proceed to have a handful of half chances, but none bothered Beau Reus in the Hearts net. Hearts will look to carry this form on Thursday night as they host Benfica in the Europa League third round qualifier, where the currently trail 6-1. As for United, it’s an afternoon to forget in the capital and it’s no small task up next as they host Celtic in the League Cup on Saturday. Hearts: Reus, Altena (Borchgrevink 73′), McEntee, McCart, Miller, Spittal, Renaud (Magnusson 64′), Kertoja, Braga (Wilson 83′), McPake (Mato 73′), Ba-Sy (Kabore 64′) Unused substitues: Fulton, Guendouz, Kamson-Kamara, Mendy, Wilson Dundee United: Walton, Rawlins, Esselink, Forbes, Ferry, Sevelj (Camara 73′), Tait, Agyei (Sapsford 46′), Randall (Farrugia 73′), Rose (Metsoko 60′), Bennie (Merghem 60′) Unused substitues: Eskesen, Graham, Iovu, Amissah

August 9, 2026

Wouter Vrancken eyes first win as Tynecastle boss: Hearts v Dundee United match preview

Hearts return to Tynecastle Park today at 3pm to host Dundee United on match day 2 in the Scottish Premiership. Life for Hearts under new boss Wouter Vrancken hasn’t got off to the start it did under Derek McInnes, with the Belgian losing his opening four matches. His side were beaten 2-1 at Pittodrie last week despite leading 1-0 in stoppage time. They come into this one on the back of a 6-1 thrashing to Benfica on Thursday night. As for Dundee United, they enter this match fresh from an impressive draw to Derek McInnes’ Rangers side on opening day. New striker Lachlan Rose has scored four goals in his opening six matches for United. New Hearts signing Sabri Guendouz spoke on Vrancken’s tactics after Thursday’s defeat in Lisbon, he said: “When we follow the plan, the team are good. If we win against Dundee United it will be good for our heads, for our feelings. It will help our confidence and it will be good for the preparation for the next game against Benfica and the next games in the league after that. “This is just the beginning. It has been difficult with the preparation we have had and the short time we have had to work with the manager. But now the season has started and we have to start winning games.” Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin said: “If we can play the way we did against Rangers, with the same organisation, intensity and quality, then I think we will give ourselves a chance in any game we go into. The most important thing for us is being competitive every time we take to the pitch and, ultimately, we always want to win.” Hearts enjoyed an unbeaten run at home in the league last season, but this fixture has been won by the away side in five of the past six occasions, with United unbeaten in their last three trips to Gorgie. Reports suggest Will Ferry could soon leave the club with Blackburn Rovers and Anderlecht interested in the Irishman. Goodwin looks to have preemptively accounted for Ferry’s departure by adding 22-year-old Romanian left-back Kevin Ciobotaru on Friday. It’s a fixture that promises goals, with United failing to keep a clean sheet in their last 17 fixtures on the road. Hearts last failed to score at home in the league in April 2025, the 1-0 loss to Dundee saw Neil Critchley sacked.

August 9, 2026

Hearts, Rangers, Motherwell and Hibernian in Europe: European Preview

As four Scottish clubs are on the European stage this evening, let’s take a look at each of the four ties. Benfica v Hearts After Hearts’ 6-0 aggregate defeat at the hands of Sturm Graz, the Edinburgh side have been handed possibly the trickiest tie of the round with a trip to Portugal to face European giants Benfica. The Portuguese side slumped to a 2-1 defeat at St Gallen before coming back to win 5-0 to get through, in order to face Hearts, who, as we know, dropped out of the Champions League. Hearts will most likely be in for a long night if they don’t improve defensively and will have to ensure they don’t concede early doors. Benfica are yet to start their league season, but for Hearts, they started it on the wrong foot, losing 2-1 at Pittodrie against Aberdeen in a game which saw them ahead going into the dying moments. If Hearts do see off Benfica, they will play the winner of Aarhus or Sabah, but defeat will see the Tynecastle outfit face either Rapid Wien or Paide Linnameeskond. Jagiellonia v Rangers The Gers make the trip to Poland as they kick off their European campaign. This is both sides’ first European tie this campaign, as Rangers and Derek McInnes eye up a Europa League spot this season. The Polish side were defeated 5-4 by Italian side Fiorentina in last season’s Conference League, whereas for Rangers, they failed to progress past the league phase of the Europa League. On paper, you’d fancy Rangers tonight, but the game this evening will be far from a breeze. Jagiellonia have already played two games this campaign in the Polish league, winning two from two against both Korona and Motor Lublin, with Rangers, of course, drawing 1-1 at Tannadice last week. If Rangers are to progress, they will face the winner of Larne or Iberia Tbilisi, but should the Gers suffer defeat, they will meet either FC RFS or FK Jablonec. HJK Helsinki v Motherwell The Steelmen are in Europe with a trip to Finland in store. HJK are rather well known on the big stage despite being knocked out of last season’s European campaign with a rather surprising defeat to Bulgarian side Arda Kardzhali on penalties. This is Motherwell’s first season in Europe since 2022, which saw the Steelmen stunned by Sligo Rovers after a 3-0 aggregate defeat. HJK Helsinki came up against fellow Scottish side Aberdeen in 2023, with both meetings ending in draws, in a group that also included PAOK and Frankfurt. The hosts eased past Northern Irish side Coleraine 8-0 on aggregate in the last round, with Motherwell getting past Faroese side HB Tórshavn 5-0 on aggregate, setting up a tasty meeting in Finland. Helsinki have already played 18 games in their league season, as the Finnish side sit fourth with 8 wins, 4 draws, and 6 defeats. For Motherwell, they defeated Hibernian 2-1 in the capital on opening day on Sunday as the Steelmen continue to impress. Should Motherwell progress, they will meet last season’s Europa League finalists, Freiburg. Hibernian v KF Shkëndija The Hibees are back after starting their European campaign in horror with a shock 2-0 defeat away to Malisheva, but made up for it in the second leg with a 4-1 victory at Easter Road. North Macedonian side KF Shkëndija are in town, having defeated Europa FC 6-0 over the course of two legs, as well as defeating NK Bravo in the latest round, to earn them the tie in Leith. The visitors have also met fellow Scottish side Aberdeen before, back in 2015, where the Dons were held to a goalless draw in the Granite City, but Aberdeen drew 1-1 away from home as they progressed via the away goals rule, which, of course, no longer exists. Hibs started their season off on the wrong foot, with a 2-1 defeat against Motherwell, but for the visitors, they began their league season with three points, defeating FK Skopje 3-0 on the opening day. Should David Gray’s men progress, they will meet the winner of IFK Göteborg or KAA Gent in the Play-Off Round.

August 6, 2026

Hearts Red Card Appeal Denied

Hearts faced Aberdeen at Pittodrie in the first round of the Scottish Premiership over the weekend. A fixture which hasn’t gone the Jambos way in over 10 years, and this one was no different. Wouter Vranckens first Premiership game in charge may be one to forgot as his side lost 2-1. The Edinburgh side struck first. A striking header from Oisin McEntee after 35 minutes had them dreaming of a long awaited victory at Pittodrie. But Aberdeen pulled it back, 2 goals in 5 minutes for Kevin Nisbet, the first right on 90 minutes as Lewis Mayo found him in the box, a perfectly placed ball as the striker was tangled between Maroon shirts but he found the back of the net. A VAR check completed to rule out any hand ball and the Dons were level. 5 minutes into injury time Toyosi Olusanya times a good run towards goal but is brought down in the box by Stuart Findlay, the defender is shown red for the denial of a goal scoring opportunity. Hearts announced on Monday they were appealing this decision on ground that there was an attempt to play the ball, which if true should have resulted in a yellow card. The verdict was announced on Tuesday afternoon that the appeal has been dismissed and Stuart Findlay will have to serve a 1 match ban against Dundee United. The news will not come easy to Vrancken and his side as they face a lot of missing defenders at the moment, Craig Halkett suffered an ACL injury against Motherwell back in May while both Steven Kingsley and Malachi Fagan- Walcott are also out through injury. Findlay will however be eligible to play in Hearts’ next fixture on Thursday night which is the Round 3 of the Europa League Qualifiers against Benfica in Portugal.

August 5, 2026

“Grateful” Schwolow reflects fondly on Hearts stint

Departing Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow has revealed that his decision to leave the Tynecastle club has been extremely difficult. A private family matter has prompted Schwolow to return to Germany after 12 months with the Jambos, though he was full of praise for the support he received throughout his stay. “My family couldn’t settle as I would have liked, so I had to make a tough decision to ask if it was possible to go back home, close to where I’m from,” Schwolow said. “I’ll be forever grateful for the club’s understanding. It wasn’t a sporting decision, just family.” “When I first heard of Hearts, I didn’t know the club because I wasn’t following Scottish football at all,” he admitted. “But from the moment I came here, I felt welcomed. “Amazing atmosphere at Tynecastle, amazing stadium, and amazing fans. That made the decision easy. I didn’t regret it.” Schwolow joined from German giants Union Berlin in last season’s transfer window, making 31 appearances and keeping 15 clean sheets as a stalwart signing for Derek McInnes. He featured in the dramatic final-day title showdown with Celtic as Hearts narrowly missed out on the league championship for the first time since 1960. “From the moment I arrived, I was welcomed by everybody. It was amazing, and it was so much fun to play here,” he continued. “I liked everybody, from the dressing room to the fans. “It was a family decision. I’m not only a football player; I’m a husband and a father as well.” Schwolow added that last week’s 4-0 defeat to Sturm Graz was “disappointing,” but he looks set to make one final appearance between the sticks for the Jambos this evening.

July 28, 2026

Hearts Suffer Heavy Defeat in Champions League Opener

Hearts Suffer Heavy Defeat in Champions League Opener Wouter Vrancken’s side did not get the start they were hoping for in their Champions League campaign, falling to a 4-0 defeat away to Sturm Graz — a scoreline that will be difficult to overturn in the second leg. The Austrian side struck early, taking the lead after just four minutes. A long throw into the box from Jeyland Mitchell found Jon Gorenc Stankovic, who headed the ball into the top corner. There were no further goals before the break, and Hearts looked lively going forward. Both Landry Kabore and Alexandros Kyziridis had good chances but were unable to find the net. Sturm Graz made a change at the start of the second half, replacing Simon Seidl with Otar Kiteshvili. The substitution paid off almost immediately, with Kiteshvili teeing up Mitchell for the home side’s second goal in the 50th minute. What followed was a devastating spell for Hearts, as Sturm Graz scored three goals in the space of nine minutes. Seventeen-year-old Luca Weinhandl added the third before Jürgen Heil completed the rout with the fourth. The return leg takes place at Tynecastle next Tuesday, where Hearts will look to claw back the deficit. Should Hearts overturn the tie, they will face either Fenerbahçe or Górnik Zabrze in the next round. If they lose, they will drop into the Europa League third qualifying round, where they would face either St Gallen or Benfica.

July 22, 2026