Heart of Midlothian have confirmed Beni Baningime will remain at Tynecastle Park after the player signed a two-year contract extension.

The midfielder was out of contract at the end of the season and was keen to wait until the end of the campaign before deciding on his future. That speculation has ended with Hearts confirming the "classy midfielder" will remain at the club.

Baningime has been a key player this campaign as the team finished third, as he was when Hearts finished in the same position two seasons ago. He missed the entirety of last season due to a cruciate ligament injury. He returned in August but suffered an early setback. Since the start of October, howver, he has featured in all but four games.

READ MORE: How Beni Baningime became such a key player for Hearts

Naismith believes he will only get better.

“I’m really pleased that we’ve got this sorted and Beni has committed his future to the club," Steven Naismith told the club's official website. “I think everyone can see that he is now getting back to his best on the pitch, which was always going to take a bit of time given the rehabilitation process he had to go through.

“The exciting thing for me is that Beni is only going to get better. There is more to come from him and that bodes very well for the team heading into next season.”

The midfielder is another key bit of business done by the club ahead of next season when the team will compete on four fronts with qualification for the European group stages. A number of players have signed extensions during this season while Yan Dhanda, Blair Spittal and James Penrice are all set to join in the summer.

Sporting Director Joe Savage said: “It’s a real sign of intent ahead of another big season to get an established senior player like Beni to commit his future to the club.

“The impact he’s made since coming here has been huge, not just on the pitch but in the dressing room too, so we’re delighted he’s staying.

“It’s been a successful season and we want to build upon that for our next campaign. Keeping Beni is part of that and our supporters can rest assured that we’re working hard in the background to ensure that 2024/25 is another memorable campaign for Heart of Midlothian Football Club.”