Latest news with #StephenKingsley
Edinburgh Reporter
4 days ago
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
Kingsley looking forward to getting involved at Saturday's testimonial
Stephen Kingsley provided an exquisite cross for Lawrence Shankland to open the scoring against Dumbarton in the Premier Sports Cup in midweek. That moment came after 17 minutes on his 31st birthday and now the twice capped defender, who has logged over 100 appearances for the Jambos, hopes to get the nod when Sunderland come to Tynecastle on Saturday (15.00) for goalkeeper Craig Gordon's Testimonial. More than 15,000 fans have snapped up tickets for the Sunderland visit, a team which is newly-promoted to the Premiership, and, naturally, Kingsley would love to be involved. He also hopes the game provides Hearts' experienced goalkeeper, Craig Gordon, with a special day for him and his family. Kingsley has known the man nicknamed Craigie for several years at international and then club level since and he indicated that Gordon is making every effort to be involved after suffering a shoulder injury at the end of last season. Looking back at Wednesday's win 4-0 win over Dumbarton, the defender said it was a 'good nights work' and he confirmed that an illness last week prevented him being involved in Hearts' previous match, a 4-0 win in the Premier Sports Cup at Stirling Albion. Now feels good and said it was important to get minutes on the pitch in midweek. Kingsley added that games against sides from lower divisions can be tough if you allow them to be, but Hearts started strongly and he added: 'We have options off the bench who can be a threat.' Hearts, he said, need to build on their confidence from the cup competition and newcomers like Claudio Braga and Alexandros Kyziridis provide something different. He has also noted positive signs from Albanian player Sabah Kerjota while in training. On Sunderland, Kingsley added: 'It will be good to play against an opposition of the size and stature of Sunderland. I have played against them before, personally, so I know the club and what they bring, passionate fans. 'It will be a great day for our supporters and Craig and his family. We are looking forward to it. Craig has deserved it (his Testimonial). He has been here for such a long time and has been a great servant.' Scottish Championship 2020 – Heart of Midlothian v Queen of the South. Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK. Hearts play host to Queen of the South in the Scottish Championship at Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh. Pic shows: Queen of the South reserve team manager, Wullie Gibson, tackles Hearts' Stephen Kingsley. Credit: Ian Jacobs Like this: Like Related
BBC News
5 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Hearts 'can still be better' despite perfect League Cup record
Stephen Kingsley says there' still room for improvement for Hearts despite breezing through the Premier Sports Cup group stage with a 100% record. Derek McInnes' side cruised past Dumbarton on Wednesday night to book their spot in the last 4-0 victory was also the fourth successive match the Tynecastle club scored four goals in the competition. "We've started games well recently, so I think that's a big thing," defender Kingsley said. "We've scored early in every single one of them, so it was important we did that and kick on. "I think we can still improve again. I think we can still be better at times and we can definitely be a bit more clinical, but it's good signs."That's 16 goals in four games that we've played and one goal conceded, so it's a good sign for us going forward."
Scotsman
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
New-look Hearts: The identity, the tactics, the constants and the maverick
Plenty to learn ahead of the 2025/26 SPFL season Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Two games under Derek McInnes and there is already a clear identity about this new-look Hearts team. Anyone watching the Premier Sports Cup group matches against Dunfermline Athletic and Hamilton Academical would have noticed common themes and a few variables for season 2025/26. Far from the finished article and with more transfers to come, the direction McInnes is taking Hearts seems quite obvious. Beating Dunfermline Athletic and Hamilton Academical 4-1 and 4-0 respectively in the first two competitive fixtures prompts natural excitement at the team's goalscoring exploits, but also caution that these are lower-league opponents. What we have learned is that McInnes wants Hearts to attack, almost relentlessly, and press opponents back in their own half with some proper hustling tactics. All of which augurs well for high-intensity Premiership games starting next month. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad By then, the head coach will be even clearer in his mind regarding who his starting mainstays should be and what formation works best. There are some signs from pre-season friendlies and the two Premier Sports ties indicating what Hearts fans can expect over the weeks and months ahead. Firstly, Stuart Findlay will play when fit. The central defender is a trusted lieutenant of McInnes from their time at Kilmarnock and marked his debut in maroon with a goal against Hamilton. He missed the Dunfermline match through suspension and was instantly given a start against Accies, underlining his importance to the manager. He is comfortable in a four and three-man defence and offers a goal threat at set-plays. He will have a big part to play in Hearts' campaign. Craig Halkett and Frankie Kent are competing to partner him along with Michael Steinwender and Stephen Kingsley - and three centre-backs will be used at times. New right-back Christian Borchgrevink is more adept attacking than defending. He suffered an injury late on against Hamilton after his earlier run and cross provided Elton Kabangu with a simple chance to score the second goal. He played wing-back on Tuesday but can be exposed at full-back. Irish midfielder Oisin McEntee was deployed at right-back in a back four against Dunfermline with Borchgrevink on the bench, so the Norwegian's starting slot is far from guaranteed. Contrast that with Harry Milne on the opposite flank. The left-back Hearts signed from Partick Thistle in January is developing into a useful asset with two assists in two games. His corner allowed Stephen Kingsley to score the fourth against Dunfermline, and on Tuesday night his low cross provided Claudio Braga's opportunity for a first goal in maroon. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Other things to expect from McInnes' Hearts include McEntee in midfield rather than full-back. The manager recognises that is his favoured position. Beni Baningime, Cammy Devlin, Calem Nieuwenhof and Blair Spittal will compete for the central slots, with Baningime favourite to be the anchor man. Teenage striker James Wilson continues to impress and will start games regularly. His movement and intelligence are not lost on McInnes or coaches Paul Sheerin and Alan Archibald. As one would imagine, captain Lawrence Shankland will also be on the teamsheet when fit after Tynecastle officials made him their highest-paid player on a new three-year contract this month. Which brings us to Claudio Braga, the Portuguese forward already revelling in the role of maverick in this new Hearts side. His performances on Saturday and Tuesday suggest he is far more effective and comfortable in a forward role than wide on the left. His work rate is impressive but there is strong technical ability within the 25-year-old, plus a desire to create and score. He also loves to entertain and enjoys supporters' adulation. A Gorgie cult hero in the making, you might say. Hearts transfers - Chesnokov, Kerjota, Kabore and perhaps more signings Greek winger Alexandros Kyziridis has yet to appear yet after a niggling injury. He will bring direct running, dribbling and goalscoring ability but how much game time he gets remains to be seen. The imminent arrivals of Sabah Kerjota and Pierre Landry Kabore will increase competition for places out wide. Then there's the possibility - slim, as things stand - of Islam Chesnokov arriving before the transfer window closes. A surplus of wingers might tempt McInnes to use a 4-4-2 system, or even a 4-3-3, more often this season. What his Hearts team will be is flexible; able to flip formation during games. He will use a 3-5-2 for certain games and tried it out to good effect against Hamilton. Wide players will occasionally be used as wing-backs, as Alan Forrest was on Tuesday. See Danny Armstrong at Kilmarnock and Jonny Hayes at Aberdeen when McInnes was in charge. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It's also fairly obvious which players are not quoted. Norwegian midfielder Sander Kartum, Spanish forward Musa Drammeh and young Scottish defender Adam Forrester were not stripped for any of Hearts' opening two games. Forrester is a youth academy graduate who could be loaned out before the transfer window closes. Kartum and Drammeh may need to leave if they want regular first-team football. McInnes can't afford to let emotions cloud his judgment as Hearts head coach. He needs players he can trust to earn results which can restore the Edinburgh club to a challenging position. Fans demand better than last season's seventh place and the management team have underlined their desire to win at Tynecastle. Inevitably, some players will be cut adrift as the new gameplan takes shape. There will likely be one or two more incomings as well. The manager hopes he does not need to enter the transfer market for another goalkeeper, but admitted he cannot entirely rule it out. Craig Gordon is injured and Zander Clark has barely played in the last year. 'It's something that we might need to be aware of and be active on. I hope we don't. I hope Craig gets some good news and I hope Zander stays fit,' said McInnes last week. He is a huge believer in passing forward. Even during pre-season training sessions at La Finca during a white-hot Spanish heatwave, he would celebrate goals scored from brave and incisive attacks. There is visible frustration in the technical area when a forward pass is on but not played. Likewise when a striker fails to hold possession or plays a slack lay-off with back to goal. The emphasis is very much on the final third, protecting the ball to create and score goals. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This is all part of Hearts' new identity. Bigger tests than Dunfermline and Hamilton will come, but so far there is clear purpose. A desire to attack, go forward with speed, aggression, and a strong work ethic are clear from the first two games. It is a platform on which to build. The team is a long way from the finished article but these are the foundations for the season ahead. READ MORE: Hearts transfer update and a Ronaldo celebration
Edinburgh Reporter
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
Martin Boyle named in the SPFL Team of the Week after goal and assist against Rangers
Hibs star Martin Boyle has been named in the SPFL Team of the Week. A goal and an assist from the speedy forward helped Hibs to a 2-2 draw with Rangers in what was a very entertaining way for the Easter Road side to finish off a terrific 2024/25 campaign. He is joined in the team by Hearts Stephen Kingsley who scored the only goal of the game against Kilmarnock. Former Hearts defender Danny Wilson who helped Livingston beat Partick Thistle in the William Hill Premiership play-off semi-final also made the team. The team was selected by Craig Fowler of BBC's A View from the Terrace. The full teams is as follows: Cade Melrose (Airdrieonians), Ryan Alebiosu (St Mirren), Danny Wilson (Livingston), Sam Cleall-Harding (Dundee United), Stephen Kingsley, James Forrest (Celtic), Lyall Cameron (Dundee), Lennon Miller (Motherwell), Adam Laaref (East Fife), Martin Boyle (Hibernian), Cyriel Dessers (Rangers) Rangers bound Cameron was named Star Man Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Reporter
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
Kingsley the hero for ten-man Hearts
Stephen Kingsley fired home for ten-man Hearts to claim a moral boosting victory at Kilmarnock to end the Tynecastle team's William Hill Premiership campaign on a high. The experienced defender struck with one minute left of regular time as battling Hearts withstood pressure from the Rugby Park side despite Yan Dhanda being red carded in the first session, having to replace goalkeeper Zander Clark early on and substitute hot-stop, Ryan Fulton, struggling with a leg injury for much of the remainder of the match. Earlier, interim manager, Liam Fox, in his last game before leaving Tynecastle, made three changes from the 2-1 victory over St Johnstone at Tynecastle on Wednesday, Zander Clark, Stephen Kingsley and Calem Nieuwenhof replacing Ryan Fulton, Craig Halkett and Jorge Grant. Kilmarnock's interim manager, Chris Burke, also made three changes. However, there was little to excite either set of fans in the Ayrshire sunshine in the early stages, the match having the vibe of a late season rubber with little at stake, with a number of misplaced passes punctuating the flow. Kyle Vassell tried to change things and he made a neat turn in midfield. He fed Fraser Murray who drive towards goal before feeding Daniel Alexander but he fired over the top. Murray burst into the action again but he was stopped by a heavy Adam Forrester challenge. The young Hearts defender was yellow carded. Nieuwenhof then drove forward deep into the Killie rearguard but his initiative floundered near the penalty box before attention moved to the other end of the pitch where Clark was seen clutching an ankle. He was immediately replaced by Fulton. Time 22 minutes. Then Frankie Kent brought down Vassell providing Killie with a chance from a free-kick 25 yards out, but ex-Hibs player Murray wasted the opportunity by blasting the ball high and wide when he should have tested Fulton. Forrest then cut in on goal but Rugby Park goalkeeper, Robby McCrorie, gathered with Nieuwenhof lurking. At the other end, Milne fouled Armstrong who lashed the ball across the Jambos box but nobody was there to deflect the ball home. The home side's drummer tired hard to inject something into the game but even he failed before Yan Dhanda was involved in a challenge near the edge of the box. Stuart Findlay was injured in the incident and required treatment as VAR reviewed the situation with a potential red card against the Hearts player. The referee was sent to the pitch side screen and Dhanda made the lonely walk back to the dressing room with less than ten minutes remaining of the first session. A harsh decision, many thought. The card injected some enthusiasm into proceedings and brought the drummer back in action, pounding away as Hearts were awarded their first corner of the game. It came to nothing. Ten-man Hearts continued to move the ball around, retaining possession, but the Men in Maroon had two scares before the break. Brad Lyons fired in a strong shot from the right which whistled wide of Fulton's right-hand post and Vassell was disappointed when he failed to get his head to an Armstrong cross from the right hand side. Overall, Hearts had rarely been seen as an attacking threat in a disappointing first period which ended blank despite the Jambos enjoying 58 per cent of possession against 41 by the opposition. Kilmarnock, however, had six shots to the Jambos three but the visitors made 266 passes against 184 from Killie. Findlay failed to reappear for the second half with Bruce Anderson being introduced and the substitute had a free header in the box with the first attack but sent the ball straight towards Fulton who gathered. The pressure continued and Liam Donnelly was challenged by Nieuwenhof which resulted in a free-kick in a central position but Armstrong fired the ball straight into the Jambos wall. Kilmarnock forced Hearts into defending with everybody behind the ball except Lawrence Shankland who cut a lonely figure up top until a breakaway found Forrest who cut in goal before sending a weak shot towards McCrorie. Quality with the final ball was missing from both sides as the clock ticked on with Killie dictating the pace and Hearts spoiling in a bid to stay in the game. Milne was removed in favour of Halkett and, minutes later, Fulton was careless with a short pass out of his box and Killie's Murray wasted the opportunity, slicing the ball well wide. Bobby Wales was replaced by Marley Watkins but it was Herts who threatened next with Nieuwenhof shooting for goal. McCrorie gathered comfortably. Then Devlin and Shankland linked and the Aussie midfielder fired for goal only to see McCrorie tip the ball over. Nieuwenhof required treatment before he was substituted. Shankland and Forrest also departed with Elton Kabangu, Sander Kartum and James Wilson coming on. Halkett was handed the armband. Fulton was patched up with his left leg seeming to be the problem as Liam Polworth and Cole Burke took the field for Killie, Lyons and Armstrong making way and, within seconds, Killie had a great chance but Murray wasted it, firing over from the penalty spot area. The Rugby Park side looked the most likely to break the deadlock and they continued to hem Hearts into their own area, keeping the pressure on, but the Men in Maroon broke free and Wilson fired the ball wide from an angle on the right. However, it was normal service soon after as Killie powered down the right only to be blocked by Hearts who, up to now, had managed the game well despite being minus one man. Vassell was then substituted by ex-Jambo, Gary Mackay-Steven, as Fulton continued to struggle with Kent, who had been outstanding the game, taking goal kicks and the goalkeeper was again given treatment but remained on the pitch with four minutes of regular time remaining. What a shock for Killie seconds later. Hearts moved forward and the ball broke to Kingsley (pictured by Nigel Duncan) from a header on the edge of the box with a minute left. The experienced defender drilled the ball into the bottom right-hand corner with his left foot from a central position to spark celebrations among the travelling support. The goal was checked by VAR with a challenge by Wilson under scrutiny, but the goal stood and Hearts claimed their fourth win in a row. Like this: Like Related
