Derek McInnes has issued a confident warning to Celtic and Rangers, insisting that Hearts are only going to get stronger as the title race enters its decisive phase, with the return of captain Lawrence Shankland at the forefront of his thinking.
The Hearts manager was in bullish mood after his side ground out a 1-0 win over Dundee at Tynecastle, secured by Oisin McEntee’s header with thirteen minutes remaining. Shankland returned from a two-month injury absence as a substitute, and his mere presence seemed to galvanise the atmosphere inside the ground. Cammy Devlin also made his return, though Hearts were without Craig Halkett from the warm-up after he suffered a back spasm.
McInnes said his belief in his squad is stronger than it has ever been, pointing to a wave of returning players that includes Halkett, Tomas Magnusson, Harry Milne, Stuart Findlay and Stephen Kingsley. He urged his players to share in the confidence he feels and reminded them of what is coming back to the squad in the weeks ahead. His message to Celtic and Rangers was clear: despite missing key players for an extended period, Hearts have barely conceded any ground at the top of the table, and they will be a more complete side as the split approaches.
On Shankland specifically, McInnes was effusive. He described the skipper as an unbelievable person and a brilliant captain who had remained a significant presence around the club even while sidelined. He spoke about the immediate effect Shankland’s arrival from the bench has on a match, saying the ball sticks, the team gets up the pitch, and a sense of expectation runs through the stadium that something is about to happen. Getting him back on the pitch, in McInnes’s words, cannot be underplayed.
McEntee’s winning header, from a pinpoint Marc Leonard cross, was the product of a set piece the team had worked on in training the day before. McInnes acknowledged that delivery from dead ball situations had been a weak point in recent weeks and was pleased to see the improvement put to good use.
Hearts travel to Livingston after the international break before facing six consecutive matches against top-six opposition. McInnes said he has no concerns about the difficulty of what lies ahead, taking the view that the tougher sides have already visited Tynecastle. His focus is simple: keep winning, allow confidence to grow with each result, and trust that the quality returning to his squad will lift performances to the level required.