James Penrice is a Scottish professional footballer born on the 22nd of December, 1998. Operating primarily as a left-back, Penrice currently applies his trade at Hearts Football Club where he dons the number 29 jersey. With his height standing at 5ft 10in (1.78m), and weight recorded at 11st 6lb (73kg), Penrice cuts an imposing figure in the defensive line.
Assigned a market value of around £500k according to Transfermarkt, Penrice's agreement with Hearts is set to run until the 31st of May, 2027, with approximately two years and seven months remaining on his current contract.
Penrice's professional journey commenced in earnest at Partick Thistle F.C. in Scotland's Championship, where he joined in July 2015. During his debut season (2015 - 2016), Penrice made two first-team appearances in league matches. After a loan to East Fife in the 2016 - 2017 season, where he made a solid 18 league appearances, Penrice returned to Partick Thistle.
The young defender’s next move came in August 2017, when he was transferred on loan to Livingston F.C. He made 13 first-team appearances in his first season (2017 - 2018) and scored his maiden goal. His performances at Livingston led to a permanent move in July 2021, where, over the subsequent seasons, Penrice accrued a respectable tally of 79 league appearances and staged score contributions by netting three goals.
Progressing through the ranks, Penrice found his way to Hearts, the club he currently calls home. Since his transfer to Hearts in July 2024, Penrice has made 12 first team appearances in the 2024 - 2025 season. Demonstrating his reliability and versatility, Penrice has further honed his skills by participating in the 2024 - 2025 League Cup for Hearts with one start, the 2024 - 2025 Europa League Qualifiers for Hearts with two starts, and divided his service between starts and sub appearances in the 2024 - 2025 Conference League for Hearts.
Tracking the career trajectory of James Penrice, it is evident that his perseverance, natural talent and hard-working ethos have paid off handsomely, launching him from Championship level football to the Premiership, Scotland's most prestigious league.
