Rangers legend Kris Boyd believes Hearts could one day mount a title challenge against Rangers or Celtic at some point in the next few decades.
Speaking on the Warm Up, host Gordon Duncan reads the question from a card: "Will we see another non-Old Firm title winner again in your lifetime?"
Guest Gordon Strachan jokes about some people having longer to live from here than others – indirectly referencing himself and one other guest, Craig Levein – before throwing the question to Boyd.
"If you'd have said to me a few years ago, I'd have said no. Because I thought the financial gulf was too big. But I now look at what's going on at Hearts and I genuinely believe there could be.
"I don't think it's a foregone conclusion, or it's a certainty to happen… but it could happen in the next few years."
Read more:
- 'Nothing said': Rangers hero Boyd on missed Celtic red card
- Boyd demands Rangers find right man & stop plodding along with Clement
This hypothetical seems all but impossible this season, granted, as Hearts sit second bottom of the Scottish Premiership, one point ahead of rivals Hibs who themselves have a game in-hand.
Speaking about Rangers' erratic form this year, Boyd recently called for manager Philippe Clement to refrain from using the fact he's building a 'new team' as an excuse for poor results.
He said: “We sit here, and performances might not be great from Rangers, but they’re winning games again It’s a good habit to have, but I think it’s gone past that now for a lot of Rangers fans.
“It should be [a worry] because I look at in terms of results, you might be getting them, but I think people are looking beyond that now.
“The performances, they are not good enough and I don’t care what anybody says. You sit down, you win a game of football, it’s fine you can move on.
“But Philippe Clement speaks about progression, he speaks about the team getting better, this new team. We are in November. The new team, it’s worn off.
“The new signings, for a large period there wasn’t a lot of them playing which tells me that they are not good enough. They are not good enough.
“So, I get Philippe Clement, he’s trying to keep a lid on it as such in terms of he doesn’t want to maybe throw a few of them under the bus.
“He can’t be happy with the performances right now, and if he is then it would be more worrying if I’m being brutally honest.
“I know you can put a positive spin on it but it’s not convincing and as I said, this progression and getting better and stronger, I don’t see it.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel