Scottish born defender Stephen Kingsley, presently donning the number 3 jersey at Hearts FC, first came to note in his home country before venturing down south to ply his trade in the English Football league. A technically adept central defender, Kingsley stands 5ft 10inches tall (1.78m) and weighs 12st 1lb (77kg).
His footballing journey began in earnest at Scottish Championship side, Falkirk. Kingsley signed for the club in January 2011, where he spent three and a half seasons establishing himself as a proven defender. Showcasing his abilities from the outset, he played in three league matches in the debut season 2010-2011, 15 in 2011-2012, and by the 2012-2013 season, Kingsley cemented his status as a regular, making 35 appearances in the league. The following 2013-2014 season he matched that record and even managed to score a goal.
His performances caught the eye of Swansea City, who purchased Kingsley for a fee approximating to £350k in July 2014. Yet, his opportunities in the first team were sparing, making just four appearances in his first season 2015-2016 and 13 in the second 2016-2017. His time at Swansea City was intermittently punctuated by loan spells at Yeovil Town and Crewe Alexandra in the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons respectively, each time making 12 league appearances.
In August 2017, Kingsley embarked on a new chapter, signing for Hull City for an undisclosed fee. Over the course of three seasons (2017-2020), he featured in league games occasionally, with totals of 11, 26 and 8 appearances respectively.
A return to Scotland beckoned, and so, in October 2020, Kingsley joined Hearts in the Scottish Premiership. His impact was immediate - in the 2021 - 2022 season, Kingsley made 33 league appearances and found the back of the net six times. His performance continued, making regular appearances in the following seasons, and even scoring an additional goal in the 2023–2024 season. As of the 2024-2025 season, Kingsley has made six first team appearances.
Other than his contributions in the league, Kingsley has also left his mark in cups and the European stage. Participating in the League Cup 2024-2025, Scottish Cup 2023-2024, the Europa League Qualifiers 2024-2025, and in the Conference League 2024-2025 for Hearts.
According to Transfermarkt, Kingsley's current market value is estimated at around €1.00m, which precipitates to approximately £860k in the sterling currency. With 2 years and 7 months left in his contract with Hearts, set to expire on 31 May 2027, Stephen Kingsley's story is still being written.
