The ex-Everton midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season but has been offered a new deal
Beni Baningime admits he’s yet to make a decision on his future after being offered a new contract by Hearts.
The ex-Everton midfielder is getting back to his best after returning from a nightmare 16 months out with a cruciate ligament injury. Baningime starred at the weekend as the Jambos stunned Celtic by cruising to a first victory at Parkhead since 2009. Now 25, the Congolese playmaker is reaching the peak years of his career and Tynecastle chiefs hope to convince him to put pen to paper on a new deal.
But while Baningime is happy in Gorgie, the ex-Wigan and Derby County loanee admits he has a lot of things to consider. He told the Edinburgh Evening News: “I said last time I spoke to you that I would never leave here in a bad place. That is my main focus right now. My main focus is football. That might sound a bit of a cliché but I don’t really want to think about the future.
“I’m happy to sign whenever my agent and everyone comes to negotiation. My family is also important to me. It’s not just for me. Whatever they say, I have to take that into consideration over what’s next. I’m really happy here and I just want to enjoy football again. I was out for 16 months so I just want to play and not think about all these different things.”
When asked to clarify his “happy to sign” remark, Baningime added: “It’s a really hard one. I will say this honestly: I have aspirations to play right at the top, but I also know that I’ve been injured for 16 months. I’m not in any rush to go anywhere.
“All the numbers and whatever, that isn’t really for me. That’s more the agent, what the agent thinks and what my family thinks. That’s all I can really say on it.”
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