Jamie McCart bids farewell to Rotherham United as Hearts pay fee to take him from New York Stadium

The 27-year-old Scot has headed back north of the border and signed a four-and-a-half-year deal in a development that generates money the Millers could put towards recruitment of their own.

The move was confirmed at 7pm on the eve of Rotherham's League One trip to Huddersfield Town and McCart may make his debut for the Edinburgh outfit in Sunday's SPL clash at Dundee United.

Hearts have paid an undisclosed fee to land the centre-half early in the January transfer window rather than wait until the summer when they could have taken him as a free agent.

A figure was agreed in talks between the two clubs today, hours after it emerged that the player already had a pre-contract agreement in place with his new employers.

Rotherham are looking to bring in fresh blood this month and have now shed three wages from their playing budget, with loanees Esapa Osong and Joe Hungbo having already left.

Manager Steve Evans, who says the club will balance their dealings in the window with roughly the same number of departures as incomings, has spoken of the possibility of a new arrival at some stage next week.

After being on the transfer list in the summer, McCart was in the team at the start of the season before giving up his place to Zak Jules when he suffered a calf problem in October.

He was fit again in December but has been kept on the bench by the form of the man who replaced him.

The former Celtic youngster linked up with the Millers from St Johnstone in 2022 during the managerial reign of Paul Warne and failed to establish himself in the side under Warne's successor, Matt Taylor.

In his first year, the left-footer went out on loan and helped Leyton Orient win League Two promotion and he spent the following season at Barnsley with whom he reached the League One play-offs.

He has made 21 appearances this term and 34 in total for Rotherham.

Hearts were willing to act fast and pay for his services as they are struggling in next-to-bottom spot in Scotland's top league and have been hit by injuries at the heart of their backline.