Hearts are swooping for Manchester City defender Ashley Smith-Brown.

The 21-year-old left back has just returned from a year at Dutch club NAC Breda, where he played 29 games as the club clinched promotion to the Eredivisie.

The Manchester Evening News says Manchester-born Smith-Brown, who has been capped by England at every level from under-16 to under-20, will head north of the border to continue his football education next season.

The Blues feel that the Scottish Premier League will present Smith-Brown with a more physical challenge than the Eredivisie – and the player needs to get back on track after fading from the scene at Breda.