| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Frankie James Kent[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1995-11-21)21 November 1995 (age 30)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Romford, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Centre back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Heart of Midlothian | ||
| Number | 2 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2012 | Arsenal | ||
| 2012–2014 | Colchester United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2019 | Colchester United | 127 | (6) |
| 2019–2023 | Peterborough United | 149 | (4) |
| 2023– | Heart of Midlothian | 66 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 12 February 2026 | |||
Frankie James Kent (born 21 November 1995) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as acentre back forScottish Premiership sideHeart of Midlothian.
Kent progressed through theArsenal Academy prior to joiningColchester United'sAcademy for his two-year scholarship in 2012. He made his professional debut for the club in May 2014 and went on to make 141 appearances in five years with the U's. He subsequently played forPeterborough United, before joining Heart of Midlothian in 2023.
Born inRomford,[3] Kent attendedShenfield High School, with whom he won the 2008English Schools' Football Association under-12s Schools Cup for boys. He scored in the final held atWolverhampton Wanderers'Molineux Stadium, doubling Shenfield High's lead early in the second half.[4]
Kent is a product of theArsenal Academy, where he progressed through each age group from the age of seven to 16. He was released by Arsenal and went on trial atColchester United.[5]
Kent joined Colchester'sAcademy for his two-year scholarship in 2012. During his scholarship, Kent was namedcaptain of the under-18 side.[6] He was first called into the first-team squad by managerJoe Dunne in December 2013, where he was drafted in as defensive cover over the festive period afterNorthampton Town loaneeBen Tozer had been recalled from his loan at Colchester by his parent club.[7] During the sameseason, with the under-18s, Kent helped his side earn a league title and cup winning double. He played in theYouth Alliance Cup final held againstBradford City atValley Parade on 29 April 2014 as the U's won the game 4–2.[8]
Just four days after his under-18s cup triumph, Kent made his professional debut for Colchester United on 3 May 2014. He came on as a half-time substitute forMagnus Okuonghae in a 1–0 away win againstWalsall.[9]
Kent made his firstLeague One appearance of the season and his first senior start on 16 August when he replaced the suspended Magnus Okuonghae in the centre of defence for a game againstBristol City atAshton Gate. He played the full 90 minutes as the U's succumbed to a 2–1 defeat.[10] He was once again called upon on 13 September when he replacedSammie Szmodics in a tactical substitution in Colchester's 2–0 victory againstLeyton Orient atBrisbane Road. He replaced Szmodics prior to half-time after Magnus Okuonghae was dismissed for a serious foul onDave Mooney.[11] Okuonghae's ensuing four-match ban allowed Kent to make his first home start for the club on 16 September when the U's fell to a 3–2 defeat toSheffield United, in which Colchester squandered a two-goal lead by conceding three goals in six second-half minutes.[12] In Okuonghae's absence, Kent established himself as a first-team regular, and with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, he was rewarded with a three-and-a-half-year contract extension, which he signed on 16 October 2014.[13]
Kent once again held a starting berth for Colchester's home clash withChesterfield on 21 October. However, less than one minute into the game, Kent fell to the ground after being struck in the head by the ball. Meanwhile, referee Darren Sheldrake allowed play to continue, as the Spireites scored throughSam Clucas. Kent then received four minutes of treatment on the field before being replaced by Magnus Okuonghae. After being stretchered off the pitch, Kent reappeared on the sidelines before the first-half ended.[14]
Following his injury, Kent returned to action in Colchester's 2–1 home defeat byPort Vale on 1 November.[15] It would prove to be his last game of the season, after suffering a knee injury that ruled him out of action until March 2015. A slip in a training session in March set back his recovery, and he failed to regain fitness before the end of the campaign.[16]
Kent returned to first-team action in the 3–2EFL Trophy defeat atNorthampton Town on 1 September 2015, playing the full 90 minutes.[17] After making 29 appearances in the2015–16 season, Kent was named as Colchester'sYoung Player of the Year at the club's end of season awards on 13 May 2016.[18]
Early in the2016–17 season, Kent was close to leaving the club on loan following his recovery from tendonitis. However, in November 2016, managerJohn McGreal switched tactics to utilise three central defenders, and Kent began a run of form alongsideTom Eastman andGeorge Elokobi that would see Colchester through a nine-game unbeaten run. As a result, Kent was awarded theEFL Young Player of the Month for December.[5] Kent was then ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering ruptured ankle ligaments during Colchester's 2–1 win againstBarnet on 11 February 2017, having made 15 first-team appearances.[19]
Kent scored his first professional goal on 9 August 2017 during Colchester's 2–1EFL Cup defeat toAston Villa. He also scored anown goal in the match.[20] He then scored his first league goal on 26 August againstForest Green Rovers.[21]
On 21 September, Kent signed a new contract to keep him with the club until summer 2020.[22]
Kent received the firstred card of his career on 1 January 2019 in the 89th minute of Colchester's 2–0 defeat atCrawley Town for a second bookable offence.[23] Having been named as Colchester United'sYoung Player of the Year in 2016, Kent was named theColchester United Player of the Year for the2018–19 season in an awards ceremony held on 29 April 2019.[24]
On 22 June 2019, Kent signed for League One sidePeterborough United on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[25]
On 24 July 2023, Kent signed forScottish Premiership sideHeart of Midlothian for an undisclosed fee.[26]
Ex Colchester managerJohn McGreal, who had worked with Kent from his arrival at the club to the first-team, said of Kent:
He's a ball-playing centre-back, he's 6ft 2ins, he's getting more aggressive with his play and his reading of the game is excellent.[5]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Colchester United | 2013–14[27] | League One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2014–15[28] | League One | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2015–16[29] | League One | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 29 | 0 | |
| 2016–17[30] | League Two | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2017–18[31] | League Two | 37 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2[c] | 0 | 41 | 3 | |
| 2018–19[32] | League Two | 40 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[c] | 1 | 44 | 5 | |
| Total | 127 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 141 | 8 | ||
| Peterborough United | 2019–20[33] | League One | 28 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 34 | 2 |
| 2020–21[34] | League One | 45 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[c] | 1 | 50 | 2 | |
| 2021–22[35] | Championship | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 0 | |
| 2022–23[36] | League One | 42 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 49 | 2 | |
| Total | 149 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 170 | 6 | ||
| Heart of Midlothian | 2023–24[37] | Scottish Premiership | 35 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 44 | 1 |
| 2024–25 | Scottish Premiership | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7[d] | 0 | 26 | 2 | |
| 2025–26 | Scottish Premiership | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| Total | 66 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 88 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 342 | 12 | 17 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 26 | 2 | 399 | 17 | ||