Milne Eyes Left-Back Spot at Hearts After Penrice’s Departure
James Penrice’s £2 million move to AEK Athens has left a void at Hearts, and Harry Milne is now well-positioned to make the left-back role his own. With Stephen Kingsley still recovering from persistent injury problems, Milne has a real chance to cement his place in the starting lineup under new manager Derek McInnes.
Milne, 28, was signed from Partick Thistle in January and had previously been a target for McInnes at Kilmarnock. The Hearts boss has long admired Milne’s abilities, and the defender now finds himself playing under someone who values his contribution. He’s not intimidated by the challenge of replacing Penrice, last season’s standout performer and Hearts’ Player of the Year — in fact, surpassing him was always part of Milne’s ambition.
“James has earned his move — it’s huge for him, and well deserved,” Milne said in an exclusive interview with Edinburgh News. “When I joined, the plan was to push him and not settle as a backup. That mindset hasn’t changed. Now that he’s gone, there’s still competition, but I’ve always wanted to make that spot mine.”
Until now, Milne’s career had mostly been in Scotland’s lower leagues. Stepping into the Premiership might be new territory, but he’s confident in his ability to adapt. “Every time I’ve moved up a level, I’ve found my feet,” he added. “I played in the last few games of last season when we were on a winning run and felt like I contributed positively.”
Milne believes he brings different strengths to the team compared to Penrice, and he’s focused on proving his worth in McInnes’ new setup. “I don’t focus too much on what it means for me personally,” he said. “I think I have qualities that can help the team perform better. I want to play every game — just like everyone else here. I’ll do all the right things so that when the manager picks the team, I’m top of his list.”
McInnes and assistant Alan Archibald, who coached Milne at Partick Thistle, had tried to bring him to Kilmarnock previously. “Back then it was more through Archie than the manager directly,” Milne explained. “It wasn’t possible in January, but we knew there was interest. It might’ve happened in the summer if Hearts hadn’t come in.”
Now reunited with his former coaches, Milne is eager to grab his chance as Hearts prepare to face Dunfermline in their Premier Sports Cup opener. “It’s a fresh start for everyone,” he said. “New faces in the squad, a new manager, and we’ve moved on from last season. Playing Dunfermline at home with a big crowd will give us a great atmosphere to kick things off.”
Though Hearts miss out on European football this season for the first time in three years, Milne sees the League Cup group stage as a useful platform. “It shortens pre-season a bit, but it gets us into competitive games sooner — and I think that’s helped,” he said. “Of course, we’d rather be in Europe, but this is a chance to build momentum.”
Hearts have been using the friendlies to fine-tune McInnes’ tactical ideas, and Milne believes the team is progressing well. “We’ve been learning new pressing strategies and setups,” he said. “Each friendly’s been better than the last, and now we’ve got to take that into Saturday. Dunfermline will want to make it tough, especially under Neil Lennon, who’s just been appointed permanently. It’ll be a fast-paced game — we just need to take charge early.”
