Stephen Kingsley insists he will focus on his Hearts future when the time is right, with his main target a successful season on the pitch.
The defender, who moved to Tynecastle in October 2020 after being released by Hull, is out of contract at the end of the season.
He has impressed this term, scoring four times, including a superb free-kick in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over St Mirren.
Kingsley admits contract talks have taken place with Hearts but it is a decision he wants to get right.
The 27-year-old said: “The next decision I make is probably going to lead me up until I’m 30, so it’s a big, big decision.
Klopp hails ‘best’ Goodison display | Rafa not fearful for his job
PL hits and misses: Chelsea get lucky but Jota shines again
Lewis on Wright row and why Sherrock is a ‘breath of fresh air’
‘Joshua step aside? Usyk would fight Fury…’
Pep on Bernardo Silva: ‘He is the best’
Transfer Centre LIVE! Will Rangnick eye January recruits?
Carrick backs Ronaldo to adapt to Rangnick’s pressing game
Medical emergencies at Watford and Southampton
Gabriel fought off robbers armed with baseball bat
F1’s new fastest street track and the big title ramifications
“From a personal point of view, we’re coming into a really tough time in the season where there’s going to be a lot of games, so I’m just focusing on that just now and whatever happens outside of that I’ll let my agent deal with.
“Conversations have taken place but nothing has happened so far – it is something that will maybe happen in the near future. It is going to be a slow process and we’ll take it as it comes.”
Kingsley, who started his career at Falkirk before moving to Swansea City, has no regrets about joining Hearts when they were a Scottish Championship club.
He said: “The first season being in the Championship brought its own challenges, but it was more the project over the next three or four years that I was focusing on.”
Hearts’ first match back in the Scottish Premiership was a 1-0 victory over Celtic at Tynecastle.
They travel to Glasgow on Thursday night knowing if they repeat that win they will move above Ange Postecoglou’s side and into second in the Scottish Premiership.
But, having lost 3-2 at Celtic Park in the League Cup in October, Kingsley is not expecting it to be easy.
“You can see them gradually becoming more confident with their style of play,” he said. “You could certainly see that in the cup game we played at Parkhead, I thought they were brilliant.
“It’s going to be a tough challenge for us, but it’s one we’re ready for.”