| Full Name: | Kenneth Gerardo Vargas Vargas[1] |
| Height: | 1.78m |
| Position: | Winger |
| Currentclub: | Heart of Midlothian |
| Clubnumber: | 77 |
| Youthyears1: | –2020 |
| Youthclubs1: | Herediano |
| Years2: | 2020–2022 |
| Clubs2: | → Municipal Grecia (loan) |
| Caps2: | 28 |
| Goals2: | 5 |
| Years1: | 2020–2024 |
| Clubs1: | Herediano |
| Caps1: | 55 |
| Goals1: | 12 |
| Years3: | 2023–2024 |
| Clubs3: | → Heart of Midlothian (loan) |
| Caps3: | 33 |
| Goals3: | 6 |
| Years4: | 2024– |
| Clubs4: | Heart of Midlothian |
| Caps4: | 2 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2023– |
| Nationalteam1: | Costa Rica U23 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 11 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 5 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2023– |
| Nationalteam2: | Costa Rica |
| Nationalcaps2: | 6 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 10 August 2024 |
| Birth Date: | 17 April 2002 |
| Kenneth Vargas | |
Kenneth Gerardo Vargas Vargas (born 17 April 2002) is a Costa Rican professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Heart of Midlothian.[2]
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]
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 Heart of Midlothian on 26 March 2024 on a 5 season contract.[6]
| 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 | 0 | 14 | 2 | ||
| 2022–23 | Liga FPD | 33 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 52 | 12 | ||
| 2023–24 | Liga FPD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 45 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 67 | 14 | |||
| Heart of Midlothian | 2023–24 | Scottish Premiership | 33 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 9 | |
| 2024–25 | Scottish Premiership | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 35 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 45 | 9 | |||
| Career totals | 108 | 23 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 139 | 27 | |||
Capped at under-23 level,[7] Vargas received his first call-up to the Costa Rica national football 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]
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]