Former Inverness Caley Thistle defender Jamie McCart returns to Scotland to sign for Premiership side Hearts from Rotherham United
Former Inverness Caledonian Thistle defender Jamie McCart is back in Scotland.
The 27-year-old left the Highland capital to sign for Premiership outfit St Johnstone, where he won a domestic cup double in 2021.
He would move on the following summer to Rotherham United, and spent time on loan at Leyton Orient, where he lifted the English League Two, and Barnsley where he earned a spot in the English League One play-offs.
However, he has now come back north of the border to sign for Premiership outfit Hearts on a four and-a-half year contract for an undisclosed fee.
Speaking about the signing to the Hearts website, Jambos head coach Neil Critchley said: “It’s probably no secret that due to injuries sustained at the heart of our defence we were looking to strengthen in this position. We are delighted that we’ve got Jamie signed so early in the window.
'He is someone I'm aware of from his time at Rotherham and Barnsley and added to his SPFL experience we feel we are recruiting Jamie at a good stage of his career.
"Jamie already knows a lot about Hearts and has shown a real appetite to come and join us. We are confident his presence and leadership will help to improve us both in the short and long term.”
McCart himself added: “I’m over the moon. I think when I first heard of the interest from Hearts, I was obviously eager to hear what the manager and the club had to say, and then as soon as I spoke to them, it was an absolute no-brainer.
“The size of the club, the stature of it and the ambitions of it, it just made it such an easy decision for me.
“You speak to anyone in Scotland, and even when you speak to people down south, they understand how big a club Hearts is.
“The support, the fan base, it's incredible. I don't think I've had too many positive results against Hearts. I think I scored my only St Johnstone goal in the Premiership against Hearts, but Tynecastle was my favourite stadium to play at in Scotland.
“I think a lot of players would say that. It's an incredible atmosphere. The fans are right on you, and it's a brilliant place to play your football, so it's a privilege to sign for Hearts.”
He continued: “All you want really is the confidence of your manager, but I need to come in and show that I can perform at the highest level for Hearts, and that's something I'm really confident I can do, and I'm really excited about starting.
“It's just getting in there and meeting all the squad and the staff, and hopefully impressing in training to get a start.
“But I think for everyone at the club, it'll just be focusing on the next game, putting in good performances, which I think, watching the team in the past few weeks and months, they have been very unfortunate with results.
“So, I think that's just got to be the short term, is looking game to game and doing the best we can.”
