Aaron Buchanan Hickey

Aaron Hickey's move to Bologna in September 2020 came with a clause that gave Celtic 30% of the fee, even as they let him go for around £1.5 million. He had returned to Hearts in 2018 to sign his first professional contract after four years in Celtic's academy, made his senior debut for the Edinburgh club in 2019 and picked up the Scottish FA Young Player of the Year award in the same season. In 2021 he was nominated for the Golden Boy award. His time at Bologna was also interrupted by injury, including shoulder surgery in March 2021.

Brentford paid £14 million for Hickey in July 2022, signing him to a four-year deal that has since been extended to 2028. He made his Scotland debut that March, coming on as a substitute in a 1–1 draw with Poland, and has since won 22 caps without scoring.

Injuries have shaped much of his time in England. An ankle ligament injury sidelined him in October 2022, and a more serious setback followed in October 2023, when he suffered a hamstring injury against Chelsea. The problem required surgery in August 2024, ruling him out of Euro 2024 and the majority of the following season. Hickey did not return to competitive football until August 2025, after 659 days out. He has yet to win a senior team title, but his early promise had already been recognised at Brentford, where he was named the club's Under-21 Player of the Year in the 2018–19 season.