There’s no better game for Hearts to be playing in this weekend. Saturday lunchtime at 12.30, Rangers coming to Tynecastle knowing if you beat them you can go second, it’s set up to be absolutely brilliant. That goes for the Rangers players as well. If you’re sitting in that dressing at 11 o’clock knowing you can go ahead of Rangers, you don’t need help getting up for that.
Listen, it’s a hard game but I think the squad that Hearts have now, they’re more than capable of winning. It’s going to be difficult with Europe this season and there will be blips but on their day, they can do it. That being said, even if they do, it’s still way too early to be talking about splitting the Old Firm. You can’t get carried away because it will only be another three points and even then, it’s a big ask. Even if we get to February/March time and Hearts were close to splitting them, I still wouldn’t be sure that we could.
For Hearts, all they need to try and do is beat where they were last season, get back into Europe and just keep trying to build. This isn’t just a quick fix or chasing short-term success. I feel the club is in the right hands and is on the right journey. Hopefully over the next three, four or five years, it just keeps getting better and better. Then eventually they hopefully can split the Old Firm, but it’s a big, big ask to do that.
The distance they’ve come since Robbie Neilson came back is frightening. That’s not just down to him - he’s been brilliant - but their recruitment department as well. They’ve brought the right players in who have gelled with the fans. You can see everybody is in it together and if you’re a Hearts fan, you’re counting the days to Saturday every week.
When you can bring in a goalkeeper like Zander Clark as second choice, you’ve got pulling power. For him to be at the age he’s at and go there while Craig Gordon is arguably playing the best football of his life shows that. That Zander’s willing to maybe sacrifice a year or two to sit on the bench for his chance to play for Hearts speaks volumes about where the club is at just now.
There’s no-one better in the country to learn under than Craig and to have Zander there in case anything happens is brilliant. I’ve no doubt the chat was about succession planning. It must be difficult because he’s used to playing every week. He was a massive player for St Johnstone but that just shows the pull that Hearts have.
As much as we all want Craig to go on, because you saw for Scotland it’s ridiculous the standard he’s playing at, it won’t go on forever. Having Zander behind him can only be a positive.
It was great to see Stephen Kingsley and Barrie McKay added to the squad but I thought they merited a call-up anyway. They’d done enough but at the same time, we’re blessed on the left-hand side with a lot of very good players. Andy (Robertson) was injured but even so, when Stephen came on he did well. It was some result the other night.
Obviously Barrie didn’t get on. It was the same with me. I only had a fleeting visit once to the Scotland squad but I enjoyed it. It was an amazing experience and for any player, the pinnacle is being involved with your country. It’s the best you can possibly be.
Barrie’s 27 now. He’s been around the block and has massive experience when you think about the club’s he’s played for. Knowing the way he is, he’ll be very driven to get back in the squad, the same with Stephen as well, especially with the country going so well. It gives you that extra impetus to play at that level.
That goes for Lawrence Shankland too. I said at the time that he’d be a great signing. Not many people questioned it but there’s always the will it or won’t it work aspect. But he’s been absolutely brilliant.
Playing with Alan Forrest again has helped. There’s a good link with those two having played at Ayr United together. Lawrence has done everything and more, especially since Boycey got the bad injury.
When you play for Hearts, the inevitable next step is to try and get in the Scotland squad. You’re playing big games for a big club, more so now than ever because they’re in Europe.
I played with Alan at Ayr and he’s got great ability. He went to Livingston and did really well. It was then about him being able to take the next step and I think he has. For him, I know watching his brother play for Celtic and Scotland he’ll be hungry to try and get in the squad. It’s about being consistent every week and to the level he’s capable of, then you never know what might happen.
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