Graeme Shinnie backs Hearts to challenge Celtic in Premiership title race
Aberdeen midfielder Graeme Shinnie has given his take on the emerging title race between Hearts and Celtic, drawing from his own insight into the Tynecastle dressing room.
Hearts currently sit five points ahead of Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, with both sides set to clash in Edinburgh this Sunday. A home victory for Derek McInnes’ men would see the gap extend to eight points after just ten matches played.
Having spent time around several Hearts players, Shinnie believes the capital club has the quality and mentality to mount a genuine challenge against the reigning champions.
Speaking to The Herald, Shinnie said:
“I don’t see why not. It’s something we haven’t seen in Scottish football for a while, but knowing the character in that dressing room, they’ll be more than up for it.
They might not admit to being in a title race yet, but you can see the quality they’ve brought in and how well those players are performing right now. Hopefully, they can keep it going.
Sunday’s game against Celtic is a massive one, and I’m wishing them all the best.”
Hearts enter the weekend full of confidence after a 2–0 win over Kilmarnock and Celtic’s shock defeat to Dundee, a combination that has raised optimism in the capital that a genuine title fight could be brewing.
A reminder from Aberdeen’s past
Shinnie himself knows how quickly title hopes can fade. Last season, Aberdeen appeared ready to challenge Celtic after earning a 2–2 draw at Celtic Park, having battled back from two goals down. However, a 6–0 defeat to the Hoops in the League Cup semi-final at Hampden soon derailed their momentum, and their form collapsed afterward.
Under Jimmy Thelin, the Dons eventually slipped into the bottom half of the table, ending any talk of a sustained challenge.
That experience serves as a warning to those eager to crown Hearts as contenders too soon. While supporters and neutrals alike would welcome a competitive title race, with only nine games played, talk of a serious challenge might be premature — as Aberdeen’s example last season clearly showed.
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