Stuart Findlay, born in Rutherglen on 14 September 1995 (age 30), is a Scottish centre-back now with Hearts, wearing squad number 35. At a commanding 6ft 3in (1.91m), he has the obvious frame for the position, though his career has been built more on durability than noise.
His early years included time at Celtic, where loan football helped put some senior miles into him before he left in July 2016 for Newcastle United. That move took him away from Glasgow, but it was not the spell that came to shape him.
Kilmarnock did that. Across seven seasons at Rugby Park, Findlay made 179 league appearances and scored seven league goals, becoming a long-serving and reliable part of their back line. It is the club most closely tied to his career, and with reason: that was where he played his most sustained football and built his standing in the Scottish game.
He remains relevant at Hearts rather than simply hanging about the squad. In 2025–26 he has made 33 league appearances and scored five league goals, his most productive league season, with another goal coming in the League Cup. Across all competitions for Hearts that season, he has played 38 times and scored six goals.
Findlay’s career has run from Celtic’s books to Newcastle, then most notably through Kilmarnock, before his current spell at Hearts. He is an established Scottish Premiership defender with a substantial body of league football behind him.
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