Six months after midfielder Perry Kitchen left D.C. United to sign for Scottish Premiership side Heart of Midlothian F.C., now comes word that coach Robbie Neilson has appointed Kitchen team captain for the 2016/17 season, the first American in Hearts history to hold the role, and replaces defender Alim Ozturk as armband-wearer. Kitchen is not unaccustomed to the role of captain, having done so at the US U-17 residency and again, as Vice-Captain, during the USA’s unsuccessful Olympic qualification run in 2012.
Since coming over in March, the 24-year old Kitchen quickly impressed Hearts fans with his play, helping them to third in Hearts’ first season in the Scottish first tier.