Kenneth Vargas
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kenneth Gerardo Vargas Vargas[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 17 April 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | San José, Costa Rica | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Heart of Midlothian | ||
| Number | 77 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2020 | Herediano | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2024 | Herediano | 55 | (12) |
| 2020–2022 | → Municipal Grecia (loan) | 28 | (5) |
| 2023–2024 | → Heart of Midlothian (loan) | 33 | (6) |
| 2024– | Heart of Midlothian | 14 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023– | Costa Rica U23 | 11 | (5) |
| 2023– | Costa Rica | 10 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 November 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 November 2024 | |||
Kenneth Gerardo Vargas Vargas (born 17 April 2002) is a Costa Rican professional footballer who plays as a forward for Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian.[2]
Club career
[edit]Herediano and Grecia loan
[edit]Vargas played for Municipal Grecia on loan from C.S. Herediano. After returning to Herediano, he scored on his senior league debut for the club, against Grecia, on 15 January 2022.[3] He went on to score 10 goals in 41 appearances in the Liga FPD, the Costa Rican first division, in 2022.[4]
Heart of Midlothian
[edit]On 7 August 2023, Vargas joined Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian on a season-long loan deal from Herediano, with an option to purchase outright.[5]
Vargas was permanently signed by Hearts on 26 March 2024 on a five-season contract.[6]
International career
[edit]Capped at under-23 level,[7] Vargas received his first call-up to the Costa Rica senior national team in 2021.[8] In October 2022 he was again called up to the national team set-up but didn't make an appearance from the substitute bench.[9]
Personal life
[edit]His father, also called Kenneth Vargas and nicknamed “Huevo”, was a professional footballer in Costa Rica who played as a striker. Kenneth Vargas Jnr is subsequently nicknamed “Huevito”.[10]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of 25 November 2024[2]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Grecia (loan) | 2020–21 | Liga FPD | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | Liga FPD | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 3 | |||
| Total | 28 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 5 | ||
| Herediano | 2021–22 | Liga FPD | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[a] | 0 | 14 | 2 | |
| 2022–23 | Liga FPD | 33 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 3[b] | 0 | 8[a] | 0 | 52 | 12 | |
| 2023–24 | Liga FPD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 45 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 67 | 14 | ||
| Heart of Midlothian (loan) | 2023–24 | Scottish Premiership | 33 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2[d] | 0 | 3[e] | 0 | 42 | 9 |
| Heart of Midlothian | 2024–25 | Scottish Premiership | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5[f] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 20 | 2 |
| Career total | 120 | 25 | 11 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 156 | 29 | ||
- ^ a b Appearance in the Liga FPD play-offs
- ^ Appearances in the CONCACAF League
- ^ Appearance in the Costa Rican Super Cup
- ^ Appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League
- ^ a b Appearances in the Scottish League Cup
- ^ Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
International
[edit]- As of match played 18 November 2024
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | 2023 | 3 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 | 1 | |
| Total | 10 | 1 | |
Scores and results list Costa Rica's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 October 2024 | Estadio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica |  Guatemala |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League A |
References
[edit]- ^ "Player profile".
- ^ a b "Kenneth Vargas". Soccerway. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ Masis, Florela (15 January 2022). "Kenneth Vargas gives value to his signing from the first game with Herediano". nacion.com. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ Anderson, Barry (27 July 2023). "Hearts in talks to sign Costa Rican striker Kenneth Vargas". Edinburugh News. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ "Welcome Kenneth Vargas! – Hearts". www.heartsfc.co.uk. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "Vargas signs permanent deal – Hearts". www.heartsfc.co.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ Anderson, Mark (27 July 2023). "Hearts working on deal for Costa Rican starlet Kenneth Vargas as talks continue over six-figure fee". Scotsman. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ "Kenneth Vargas se quedó sin habla al enterarse de su convocatoria". Everardoherrera.com. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ Castillo, Luis Felipe (21 October 2022). "Kenneth Vargas works in search of scoring points to go to the World Cup with La Sele". Amprensa.com. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ Arraya, Fernando José (29 March 2021). "Kenneth Vargas joins the group of fathers and sons who scored in Primera". Teletica.com. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
 | ||
- 2002 births
- Living people
- Costa Rican men's footballers
- Footballers from San José, Costa Rica
- Men's association football forwards
- Costa Rica men's international footballers
- 2024 Copa América players
- Scottish Professional Football League players
- C.S. Herediano footballers
- Heart of Midlothian F.C. players
- Costa Rican expatriate men's footballers
- Costa Rican expatriate sportspeople in Scotland
- Expatriate men's footballers in Scotland