Hearts have announced the signing of Frankie Kent from Peterborough United.
The 27-year-old joins the Jambos on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee, subject to international clearance.
Kent spent ten years in Arsenal’s youth system before signing for Colchester United in 2012. He made his first team debut in 2014 and went on to amass 141 appearances, scoring eight goals, in nine seasons at The U’s, winning the club’s Player of the Year Award in 2019.
It was in 2019 that Peterborough came calling and Kent quickly established himself at the heart of their defence. He played a crucial role as the Posh won promotion to the Championship in 2021 by finishing League One runners-up.
In total he would make 170 appearances for the London Road Stadium side, notching five goals.
He now begins the next chapter of his career in the maroon of Hearts and the coaching staff are already looking forward to working with him.
Speaking to the Official Hearts Website, Head Coach Frankie McAvoy said: “We’re really pleased that Frankie has become our third signing of the summer.
“He’s played at a high level in England and I know from experience what it takes to be a success down there.
“Frankie ticks all the boxes that we were looking for. He’s a dominating defender, someone who will lead at the back but also someone who can play football.
“He has all the attributes and we’re looking forward to helping him improve even further.”
Technical Director Steven Naismith said: “We identified Frankie as a player who could come in and improve the team so we’re delighted to get him in.
“He was a big part of Peterborough’s recent success in winning promotion and we believe that he can make himself a success at Tynecastle Park.
“He is an aggressive centre-half in the way that he defends and starts phases of play, and his leadership skills stand out.
“He was very keen to come to Hearts and take the next step in his career, so it’s a great move all round.”
Sporting Director Joe Savage said: “It’s great to be able to get this deal done and make Frankie our latest recruit.
“He’s got a great pedigree, loads of experience and he’s hungry to come up here and do well for Hearts.
“We’ve said all along that we’ll be patient to make sure we get the right players in and Frankie certainly fits the bill. It’s also pleasing that he remained committed to joining us despite another Scottish club trying to get involved late on and I suppose we should take it as a compliment that our recruitment strategy is being mimicked elsewhere.
“I’m sure our fans can’t wait to see him pull on the maroon jersey and I’m hopeful that he’ll be joined by a few other new faces too.”
