Hearts capable of winning Scottish Premiership admits Martin O’Neill

Of course it could – and probably would – have happened last season had it not been for Martin O’Neill returning to the club in early January after Celtic disastrous experiment under Wilfried Nancy, an appointment decision that more that anything else that exposes the Celtic board as charlatans.

“I do, yeah, I do. I think their recruitment is really good. I think that what they’ve done has put pressure on Celtic and Rangers. They’re a definite challenge,” the Celtic manager admitted.

“They kept going all last season. That was a big, big effort. They kept going and they took it right to the last couple of minutes. Are they capable of doing it? Yeah.”

Martin O’Neill added: “I think that they’ve got a certain system in place at this minute, which has been used down at Brighton. They used it there and they’re scouring the European scene for these things.

“I thought in the opening game of the season against Aberdeen there might have been just a bit of a hangover from last season. I think they’ve put that to bed and I think they’ve come roaring back. I think they’re capable of winning the league even before that.”

“If you’re looking at it from a neutral viewpoint I think it’s only a great thing for Scottish football, that the O** F*** (sic) is being challenged in a big, big way. Rightly so. So it should be as well. Hearts have taken on that and I think they’re here to stay.

“I have a lot of admiration for it. I really do. I have a great admiration for the way they stuck at it last season, the whole way through. Considering that they were up there all that time. You’re up there, you’re looking down, you feel as if ‘oh gosh, could it happen’. They kept it going right to the end.

“Okay, so they’ve lost the manager and lost a couple of players as well. But I genuinely feel that they’re a strong challenge. I think that can only be good.”

Asked if he expects a different kind of challenge from new Hearts boss Wouter Vrancken, Martin O’Neill said “No, I don’t think so. I just think it’s the essence of the club. They went so, so close. I think inevitably they were going to lose a couple of players.

“If you’re thinking about the big centre-forward has gone to Rangers and things like that. But I think they’ve recruited really well and I just think they’re physically very strong, again, which they were last season. And yeah, they are definitely challengers.”

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