Hearts have firmly established themselves as genuine Scottish Premiership title contenders after defeating Rangers for the second time this season, according to former Scotland striker Kris Boyd.
A 2-1 victory at Tynecastle keeps Derek McInnes’ side six points clear of reigning champions Celtic at the summit, while Rangers now trail in fourth place, 12 points off the pace.
Hearts have not lifted the league title since 1960, but their current position represents their strongest challenge in decades, recalling a late fade in a three-way race with the Old Firm back in 1998.
While McInnes remains cautious in public, many pundits believe Hearts’ transformation has been remarkable, particularly given they were bottom of the table just a year ago.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Boyd was emphatic in his assessment.
“This Hearts team is there – they have arrived,” said the former Rangers forward.
“They are going to go all the way. Rangers are out of it. Twelve points is too much to claw back.”
Celtic halted a four-game losing run under new manager Wilfried Nancy later in the day with a 3-1 win over Aberdeen, though they were briefly pegged back by the 10-man visitors.
Boyd believes Hearts are now favourites if they can exploit any lingering inconsistency across Glasgow.
“It’s not all rosy at Celtic either,” he added.
Hearts did endure a wobble in November, collecting just three points from four matches as Celtic closed the gap.
However, former Tynecastle midfielder Ryan Stevenson feels that blip is firmly in the past after consecutive wins over Celtic, Falkirk and Rangers.
“The belief in the dressing room would never have left,” Stevenson told BBC Scotland.
“Everything is so positive. They’re dealing with the pressure well, even with a derby at Easter Road coming up.”
McInnes, meanwhile, insists improvement is still required if Hearts are to sustain their challenge.
“I certainly hope we can make this a special season,” he said.
“Our points tally is exactly where a team at the top should be. I think there’s more wins in us, and I expect us to get better.”
Hearts’ attacking consistency has underpinned their rise, with goals scored in 16 of their 18 league matches.
Lawrence Shankland, the division’s leading scorer with nine, added the second against Rangers and echoed his manager’s focus.
“We just need to concentrate on ourselves,” said the Scotland striker.
“As soon as you start looking elsewhere, that can cause problems.”
With confidence high and another “massive game” looming in the Edinburgh derby against Hibs, Shankland believes Hearts are thriving under pressure.
“It’s a good pressure to have,” he added.
“We’re in a good place and going into the derby confident – that’s exactly where you want to be.”
