Kevin Kyle to join Hearts on two-year contract

KEVIN KYLE has agreed to join Hearts on a two-year contract due to be announced today, and the 28-year-old is hell-bent on repeating his Kilmarnock goalscoring feats in a maroon shirt.

Kyle rejected advances from Charlton Athletic and clubs in Greece to rejoin Jim Jefferies and Billy Brown, the management team who lured him north of the border from Coventry City in January 2009. He scored 18 goals in 49 games for Kilmarnock during the last 18 months, and fully intends being similarly prolific at Tynecastle.

He spoke exclusively to the Evening News this morning to reveal his delight at joining Hearts.

"I'm very happy," said Kyle. "My family was the most important thing. I had offers elsewhere but my family has to come first at the end of the day. Hearts is a good club to go to and I can't wait to get started.

"I'm pleased to be meeting up with Jim and Billy again because they helped me a lot when I left Coventry. I went back up the road to Kilmarnock and had a good season-and-a-half under them so it will be good to team up with them again. Hopefully I can do what I did for them at Kilmarnock."

The Evening News first revealed Jefferies' interest in Kyle back on 12 February. "Kevin Kyle is a player who has made a real impact in this league. It's too early to say whether he will be here or not," the manager said at the time.

"We know all about his availability because he is out of contract. That's something we'll consider, but we aren't confirming whether we will get him or not."

Kyle verbally agreed to join Hearts yesterday and was due to formally sign today, pending results of a medical examination. He joins Darren Barr, a pre-contract signing from Falkirk, as a new recruit for next season.