Hearts sporting director Joe Savage says that they will always have a pathway open to aspiring Jambos - but sometimes opportunities to move for potentially bigger things can be too much to turn down.
16-year-old Ewan Simpson has made the move to English Premier League side Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee. The midfielder featured for Steven Naismith’s U18s last season and played in the Wee Jambos’ Scottish FA Youth Cup Final defeat to Rangers. While it would have been great to see him in a Hearts shirt at senior level, the sporting director believes it still shows their academy's ability to develop talent.
Savage said: "What this deal shows is that our Football Academy system is succeeding in nurturing young players and developing them into talented footballers with the potential to go on to big things. Of course, we want these players to pull on a Hearts shirt and run out at Tynecastle but sometimes circumstances will dictate that they will move on.
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“What reassures me, and it should fans too, is that we will always position ourselves to be properly compensated in such situations.
"Most importantly, we really do have a crop of extremely talented young players coming through our academy whose goal is to wear that famous maroon jersey.”
Hearts begin their Premiership season at home to Ross County at Tynecastle this Saturday after a third-placed finish last term.
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