Hearts 'properly compensated' as teenage star joins Premier League club for six-figure fee

Hearts have confirmed highly-rated midfielder Ewan Simpson has joined Aston Villa.

The 16-year-old has moved to the Premier League side for an undisclosed fee, understood to be six figures.

Sporting director Joe Savage took confidence that the club are producing the necessary talent following the confirmation of the deal.

He told the club’s official website: “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.

“What reassures me, and it should fans too, is that we will always position ourselves to be properly compensated in such situations and, most importantly, that we really do have a crop of extremely talented young players coming through our academy whose goal is to wear that famous maroon jersey.”