Christophe Berra has re-joined his hometown club of Hearts following his recent release from Ipswich Town.

The 32-year-old Scottish international centre-back has made no secret of the fact that he wanted to move nearer to his native Edinburgh in order to be closer to his four-year-old daughter.

Ipswich could have taken up an option in his contract to keep him at Portman Road for a further season, but owner Marcus Evans and manager Mick McCarthy agreed not to stand in his way.

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“It’s a great feeling,” said Berra. “I wanted to come back and there’s only one team in Scotland I wanted to play for and that’s Hearts.

“I’m born and bred in Edinburgh, my friends and family are here and this is the only club I’ve ever played for in Scotland. Hopefully I can end my career here.”

Berra – who has signed a three-year deal at Tynecastle – came through the youth ranks at the Jam Tarts and made more than 100 appearances for them, winning the Scottish Cup Final, featuring in the UEFA Cup and becoming the youngest captain in SPL history.

His lengthy association with manager Mick McCarthy started when the latter signed him for Wolves for a reported £2.5m midway through the 2008/09 campaign. The West Midlands club won promotion that season and Berra was a regular during three successive campaigns in the Premier League.

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Following back-to-back relegations, Berra was reunited with McCarthy at Portman Road in the summer of 2013 and he has been a virtual ever-present in the Blues’ back line over the last four seasons.