James Penrice, born in Scotland on 22 December 1998 (aged 26), is a spirited defender playing predominantly as a left back for Hearts. Standing at an average height of 1.78m (5ft 10in) and tipping the scales at 73kg (11st 6lb), he carries the number 29 on his jersey with a decent amount of vigour and verve.
At present, his market worth sits around the figure of £1.1m as stated by the esteemed football statistics website Transfermarkt. His contract binding him to Hearts has a lifespan of approximately 2 years and 3 months, with its expiration inked on the last day of May 2027.
Beginnings of Penrice's professional journey saw him signing up with Partick Thistle in July 2015, competing in the Scottish Championship. He made a rather modest start with two first team appearances in league matches during the 2015 - 2016 season. Yet, some opportunity to shine presented itself with a loan move to East Fife in League Two in December 2016, where he clocked 18 first team appearances in league matches for the 2016 - 2017 season. Upon returning back to Partick Thistle in June 2017, his debut season culminated in another two first team appearances in league matches. Same repeated in the 2017-2018 season.
Possibly seeking more competitive football, Penrice found himself embarking on yet another loan journey, transferring from Partick Thistle to Livingston in August 2017. His tenure at Livingston spanning the 2017 - 2024 period resulted in him making quite a few appearances, with the highlight being a total of 92 first team appearances and scoring 4 goals across several seasons.
Penrice soon found himself back in Partick Thistle in January 2018, after his loan at Livingston concluded. His experience seemed to have expanded his scope, with him yet again making two first team appearances in league matches for two seasons.
Yet, the call of Livingston proved too strong and Penrice opted for a permanent transfer in July 2021 where he was a common face in the first team line-ups for the ensuing seasons.
In July 2024, his career path led him to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership, where he has since tallied 28 first team appearances and netted the ball twice in the current 2024 - 2025 season.
Where Cup football is concerned, Penrice has demonstrated a decent level of involvement. He has participated in League Cup 2024 - 2025 and Scottish Cup 2024 - 2025 for Hearts, with one and three starts respectively. With respect to European competitions, he featured in two Europa League Qualifiers, and also made five appearances in the initial team line-up for the Conference League 2024 - 2025, with an additional substitute appearance to boot.
