On-loan midfielder Lee thanks Gillingham ahead of his return to Tynecastle
Olly Lee is to return to Hearts after sending a goodbye message to fans of Gillingham, the club at which he has spent the past season on loan.
“Really enjoyed my time and wish everyone all the best @gfcofficial”, he wrote in a post on Instagram.
The midfielder, who has a year remaining on his contract at Tynecastle, impressed at the English League One club, making33appearancesbefore football was suspended. He emerged as a key player under manager Steve Evans, scoring six goals, including two on his debut after joining in August.
The 28-year-old was a popular figure at Tynecastle after moving to Edinburgh from Luton Town in the summer of 2018 as then manager Craig Levein overhauled the squad. He formed a midfield partnership with Peter Haring and his most memorable moment came in the Edinburgh derby at Easter Road in December when he hit the winner with a stunning strike.
Lee, however, fell out of favour with Levein. He was in and out of the team towards the end of last season and didn’t feature prior to his move at the end of the summer transfer window.
Evans has said he would be keen to retain Lee’s services if Hearts decided he was surplus to requirements. However, the player’s priority is trying to make it work at Tynecastle.
“He has another year there and Olly’s intention is to report back when Hearts go back,” Evans said. “Hopefully there is more football to be played this season but, if not, he will go back and try to convince the people at Hearts he is worthy of playing next season.”
● Hearts are guaranteeing fans 18 matches at Tynecastle Park if they buy a season ticket for the 2020-21 campaign.
Despite uncertainty over when the new season might start, the Edinburgh club have promised supporters they will not miss out. Should the 202021 campaign be shortened due to coronavirus, resulting in fewer than 18 Hearts home games, then the value of any outstanding fixtures will be discounted from 2021-22 season tickets for those who renew again.
Anyone who does not continue their season ticket for 202122 will be offered the relevant number of individual match tickets for that campaign as their compensation.
More than 2000 fans have already bought Hearts season tickets for next season.