Hearts sign Taylor Moore - Ball-playing defender, €10m bid from Euro giants, French upbringing & Armand Gnanduillet influence

Hearts have confirmed the signing of Taylor Moore on a season-long loan from Bristol City, subject to international clearance.

Taylor Moore has joined Hearts. (Photo by Alex Burstow/Getty Images)

The 24-year-old centre-back becomes the club’s sixth summer signing following the arrivals of Beni Baningime, Ben Woodburn and Alex Cochrane, plus the loan-to-permanent deals of Josh Ginnelly and Ross Stewart.

Moore revealed to HeartsTV that he was sold on a move to Tynecastle Park by Armand Gnaduillet, who was a former team-mate at Blackpool.

“I was lucky enough to have played with Armand at Blackpool,” he said. “We both had very, very good times at that club. Hopefully we can bring the same here.

“We spoke at length. I knew that there was some interest from Hearts and after speaking to the gaffer, that just made my mind up.

“I always tend to do my own bit of homework as well and when I spoke to Armand he said that if you can get the opportunity then get up here.

“When Armand says something like that then you’ve got to listen to him!”

Manager Robbie Neilson had been targeting a centre-back and Moore fits the bill, capable of playing in a back four or a back three.

“I’m really pleased to have Taylor join us for the season,” Neilson said.

“He’s got a wealth of experience at a really high level, both in England and in France, so to get him here is a bit of a coup.

“His style of play will suit how we play and he’s versatile too, which is a bonus, so I’m sure he’ll do really well for us.”

Moore has had a fascinating career to date. He moved to France aged just seven before joining Lens in 2009 after a brief spell with West Ham United.

He played in the French top-flight four times and was once subject of a €10million bid from Lyon.

Moore stayed at Lens before making the switch to Bristol City, playing nearly 50 times in the Championship, and has had loan spells with Bury, Cheltenham Town and Southend United. He has also represented England at U17, U18, U19 and U20 levels.

“I’m a centre-back, I’d like to say I’m a ball-playing centre-back but the fans can judge that for themselves.” he said. “I’m someone that is committed, will always give 110% no matter what.

“I like to get on the ball, I like to dictate play from the back and dictate attacks but also I don’t mind doing the nasty stuff as well.

“You’re there to defend above all, so that’s definitely the most important thing and why I’ve come here under the gaffer and I’m eager to learn as much as I can.”

Sporting director Joe Savage expressed his delight at the new arrival.

“Our patience in this transfer window is paying off because we are attracting really high calibre players to the club," he said.

“Taylor was very keen to come up to Hearts which is always a good sign and it shows how well this club is regarded.

“Our thanks go to Bristol City for their assistance with this move, and we’ll keep on working hard to make sure the manager has the squad he desires for our Premiership campaign.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our sports coverage with a digital sports subscription.