Robbie Neilson reveals latest Tynecastle ace to receive contract offer

The defender, who netted the second goal with a wonderful free-kick in Saturday’s 2-0 win over St Mirren, has just seven months left on the extension he signed last term following his move to Tynecastle from Hull City on an initial one-year deal.

Hearts have also made offers to Kingsley’s defensive partners John Souttar and Craig Halkett, while goalkeeper Craig Gordon is another whom the club are eager to get tied down beyond the end of this campaign.

Manager Robbie Neilson revealed the ongoing talks with Kingsley while also insisting he had no qualms about having so many players in the first-team set-up on expiring contracts.

“We’ve put an offer to him. Joe Savage is dealing with that and it’s coming back and forward as it always does. Hopefully we can get Stephen tied up because he has been one of our better players this season, and probably last season as well in terms of consistency,” Neilson said.

“We’ve got a number of them we are trying to tie up.

“People always say going into the last year of their contract might affect them but in my experience it affects them for the good because they have to perform, whether it’s for a new contract here and for a contract somewhere else. So they have to perform.

“It’s the guys who sign the three, four and five year deals that you have to worry about because the tools can be downed and the cigar comes out sometimes.

“These guys are coming to the last six months of their contracts and they need to perform. It’s up to us to try to get them tied up again.”

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