Hearts reject approach for Ryan McGowan and tell Sheffield Wednesday to double their money

By BARRY ANDERSON
Published on 10/08/2012 11:22

HEARTS have rejected a verbal offer of £300,000 from Sheffield Wednesday for defender Ryan McGowan.

The Championship club will need to submit an official bid of at least double that amount before Hearts consider selling one of their key players. The Evening News has learned Hearts are keen to offer a new contract to McGowan, whose current agreement expires at the end of the season. The player wants to stay in Edinburgh after establishing himself as a first-team regular last year. Earlier this week, he received his first call-up to the full Australian national team. It remains to be seen whether Sheffield Wednesday return with an official offer for the 22-year-old. Hearts would be looking for £600,000-£750,000 at the moment, and more if McGowan signs a contract extension. If a new deal is not signed by January, the player would be eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with another club and Hearts could therefore lose him for free. The Edinburgh club are keen to promote more youths to the first-team squad and McGowan is considered an ideal role model for aspiring kids. He left his native Adelaide as a 16-year-old in 2006 to enrol in the Riccarton youth academy and progressed through its various age-group teams to reach senior level.

Despite still being relatively young, he is now considered an important part of Hearts’ first-team under boss John McGlynn.

Related Articles

• Hearts’ faces of tomorrow

  “The Board is remaining focused on transforming the business into a much more youthful, enterprising, entertaining and financially viable club.” The words of Sergejus Fedotovas should be music to the ears of Hearts supporters.

  17 Comments

• Hearts’ Ryan McGowan keen to jump aboard Socceroo express

  AFTER a series of dominant displays for Hearts, Ryan McGowan is being considered for a call-up to the Australian national team. Football Federation Australia have confirmed that their head coach, Holger Osieck, will watch the 22-year-old during a scouting mission to Europe ahead of the Socceroos’ friendly with Denmark on June 2.

  1 Comments

• Jason Holt aims to grab the limelight at Hearts

  THE stage is set for Jason Holt to make a major impact at Hearts this year. Paulo Sergio has promoted the 18-year-old from the club’s youth academy and now considers him a first-team squad member.

  10 Comments

• Hearts star Ryan McGowan ready to enter Tynecastle talks

  REPRESENTATIVES of Hearts defender Ryan McGowan are eager to begin talks with the club over a contract extension for the player amid concerns that he could be sold before the transfer window closes at the end of August.

  30 Comments

• Changes nigh as Hearts cut their cloth

  HEARTS have the opportunity to drastically reduce their wage bill and squad size this summer when 12 first-team and six youth-team players' contracts expire.