Alex Cochrane seals Hearts return with permanent move from Brighton

Cochrane has signed a three-year deal to move back to Tynecastle

Alex Cochrane seals Hearts return with permanent move from Brighton & Hove AlbionSNS Group

Alex Cochrane has joined Hearts on a permanent basis, sealing a switch from Brighton and Hove Albion.

The left-sided defender enjoyed a successful spell at Tynecastle last season, making 40 appearances as the team finished third in the Premiership and reached the Scottish Cup final.

Manager Robbie Neilson was keen to bring the 22-year-old back as he prepares for the challenges of the domestic season and group stage football in Europe, and has landed the player on a three-year contract after Hearts paid an undisclosed fee to English Premier League side Brighton.

“It’s fantastic to get Alex back in permanently,” Neilson told the club’s website. “He was a huge part of the success the team enjoyed last season so to get him back in as a Hearts player for three years is great news.

“His versatility on that left side is hugely important to the way we play and I think he benefitted massively from getting a full season of first-team football under his belt.

“He’s a popular lad in the dressing room and obviously there is great familiarity there so I hope he can pick up from where he left off last season and hit the ground running.”

Sporting director Joe Savage said: “Everyone was impressed with Alex’s contribution to the team last season so it made perfect sense to try and bring him back in on a permanent deal.

“He’s still a young player but he’s clearly very talented and has a hunger to improve, and – as we’ve demonstrated time and time again – Hearts is a place for talented players to flourish.

“I have to thank Davie Weir at Brighton & Hove Albion for the part he played in making this move happen, and also our own board here at Hearts because they are backing us at a crucial moment in the club’s history, and we’re really grateful for that.”

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