Josh Ginnelly contract demands Hearts were unwilling to meet and why his departure has raised concerns

When the rest of the Hearts squad returned to training without Josh Ginnelly, it didn’t take a genius to work out that the prolonged game of will he, won’t he, had reached a conclusion and the Englishman would be moving on.

That was confirmed in a couple of statements on Thursday, when the club and player each made it clear that his career would continue away from Gorgie.

In a succinct missive from the Tynecastle outfit, they confirmed “that Josh Ginnelly will not be returning to the club”, adding: “His contract expired last month and despite the club making the best possible offers to retain his services, he has decided his future lies elsewhere. We wish him all the best with his next move.”

The 26-year-old was more effusive when it came to saying his goodbyes.

Josh Ginnelly has left Hearts after failing to reach agreement on a contract extension. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

“This has been one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make but after taking time to reflect I’ve decided it’s time for a different challenge,” he said.

“I’m so proud to have played for this amazing club and I feel so proud to look back and see how far we’ve come over the last three years. I’ve made friends for life in teammates that I’ve met along the way and it’s been an absolute pleasure to have played alongside you all.

“Thank you to all of the staff who coached me through injuries and helped me through one of the toughest times of my career.

“I also wanted to say a special thank you to (long-serving club employee) Clare Cowan. Hearts wouldn’t be Hearts if it wasn’t for you. I wanted to say publicly that I hope you know how appreciated you are.

Hearts manager Steven Naismith (left) speaks with Josh Ginnelly during the 1-1 draw with Hibs on May 27. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

“Finally, thanks to all of the fans that have stuck by me throughout. You’ve made my time at Hearts and I’ll forever be grateful for the uplifts and constant support. Some fan base. All the best for the future. Thank you for everything. Gino.”

The club had hoped that the pacey attacker, who joined from Preston North End on a loan deal in 2020 before signing a permanent deal the following year, would extend his stay in Scotland but there were issues which could not be resolved, with the player looking for longer-term security so that he and his family could put down stronger roots. Hearts were unwilling to match his demands.

After a period of inconsistency and injuries, he seemed to settle into his best form last season when he made 41 of his 89 Hearts appearances and scored 13 of his 22 goals for the capital side and some cynics have suggested that the timing of his improved contribution was suspect, as it coincided with negotiations. Those are the people who have responded with relative indifference to his departure.

Others, though, felt that having nurtured the player through Achillies issues and other niggling injuries, Ginnelly was simply showing what he was capable of when settled and at full fitness. Excited about what he could offer the team, with the combination of pace and guile not readily abundant elsewhere in the squad, others in the support were keen to see him tied into at least another campaign.

But his departure has pricked concerns. It is not just the fact that the club’s second-top scorer throughout last season has been allowed to exit stage left, it is the fact that the indecision was allowed to drag on so long, leaving the club short-handed in the terms of pace and goals, as they creep closer to the resumption of competitive action.

While the main rivals in the tussle for third spot last term - Aberdeen and Hibs - have been active in the market since the transfer window opened, tying up the players they want to keep and bringing in a few others to fill gaps, Hearts have been seen to do little since they settled on their coaching team.

But work is ongoing behind the scenes, and the Gorgie recruitment team have been linked with a number of targets including further recruits from the Australian leagues and Japanese football, in the shape of winger Sammy Silvera, from Central Coast Mariners, and fellow winger Kanji Okunuki, and defender Riku Handa, from Omiya Ardija and Gamba Osaka respectively.

They have players returning from injury who will be like new signings and will undoubtedly strengthen the team if they stay fit and work is ongoing behind the scenes. Peter Haring returned for pre season, showing no long-lasting effects of the head knock picked up in the final league game of last season, while Liam Boyce and Beni Baningime are said to be working towards a return at the beginning of the campaign.

But there is a shopping list being drawn up by fans who want to see greater strength in depth up front, especially with star striker Lawrence Shankland still attracting interest from elsewhere.

Getting the balance right in the middle of the park remains an issue, while the departure of the out-of-contract Michael Smith and the end of James Hill’s loan deal means that there is a desire for a right-back and more cover, let alone competition on that side of the defence.

Craig Halkett could help with that if his rehabilitation continues as anticipated and he gets himself back into contention early in the season but given his recent run of injuries, further back up would seem astute.

Having failed to nail down third spot last term, some quick action is required. Heading off for their Spanish training camp, friendlies are looming large - they play Plymouth Argyle on July 6 - and Premiership action and their European entrance will not be too far behind. The domestic league kicks off on August 5, with their first Europa Conference league qualifiers on August 10 and 17.

Which is why the drawn out nature of the Ginnelly knock-back was not helpful and why the behind the scenes negotiations need to start bearing fruit.