Stephen Kingsley is set to become the latest big name to commit his future to Hearts after Craig Halkett penned a new deal.
The left-back is on the verge of agreeing a long-term extension, with Jambos sporting director Joe Savage in talks with him.
Kingsley, 27, is out of contract in the summer but is set to join Craig Gordon and Halkett in committing to the Tynecastle club long-term.
Defender Halkett penned a new two-year deal that will keep him in Gorgie until the summer of 2024.
The 26-year-old said: “It is great to get it sorted because it has been a wee while. I am just delighted.
“It was always something I had at the back of my mind that I wanted to stay here.
“It takes time to sort these things out but now that we have I am really happy and looking forward to progressing my career at Hearts.
“Things are looking really positive, the manager, coaches and everyone in the background is pushing in the one direction.”
Halkett has seen a lot in his three years at Hearts. They have reached the Scottish Cup Final, got demoted after the Premiership was called early after Covid, and he then helped the Jambos bounce back by winning the Championship. Now they are sitting third in the top flight.
Halkett is determined to see Hearts finish there and to take them into Europe. He said: “When I first signed at Hearts [in 2019] where we are now is where I thought we were going to be back then.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that way.
“It was quite tough at the time going down the leagues and having to come back up.
“However, we are where we are now and I am really happy with that.
“When I joined I always saw this club pushing at the top of the Premiership, getting into the European places and getting into cup finals, and trying to win trophies. I feel like we are getting in those positions now.
“We are sitting third in the league and we have a chance to progress in the Scottish Cup. That is the aim for us going forward.
“Third is where we want to be come the end of the season, to get European football. It is something I have always wanted to do and if I could do that with Hearts it would be brilliant.”
Halkett is pleased with the progress his team-mates have made this season but he knows they have achieved nothing yet.
They return to action at home against St Johnstone on Tuesday, then travel to take on Auchinleck Talbot in the Scottish Cup.
Ex-Livingston star Halkett said: “It is massive. We had a first good six months of the season but we are only halfway there.
“It is really important we get our heads back down and work hard.
“We’ve had a good break and now we are looking to finish the job.”
Scottish football is now allowed full stadiums for the return and Halkett added: “Getting the fans back in is massive. Everybody can see how important they are here at Hearts.
“We’ve had around 18,000 fans for our recent home games and it has shown with our results.
“Getting them back in is huge and hopefully we can give them a lot more to cheer about.”
Meanwhile, Hearts have recalled kid Harry Stone from his loan with Partick Thistle.
They are now considering other moves for the keeper in League One and Two.
