Martin O'Neill makes Hearts 'can only be good' claim as he assesses Celtic and Rangers title hopes

Martin O’Neill believes Hearts’ emergence as a force this season can only benefit Scottish football, even if it has helped put Celtic’s hopes of retaining the Premiership title in grave jeopardy.

The Jambos are three points ahead of the Hoops at the top of the table after a stirring 2-1 win over Rangers at Tynecastle on Monday that all but eliminated Danny Rohl’s side from the three-way race.

Hearts – buoyed by investment from Tony Bloom and a link-up with Jamestown Analytics – are aiming to become the first team outside the Old Firm to win the top-flight title since Sir Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen triumphed in 1985.

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill. | SNS Group

Asked on talkSPORT on Tuesday if he felt the Edinburgh club were now equipped to become regular contenders, veteran Celtic boss O’Neill said: “Why not? Absolutely. Tony Bloom has invested in Brighton and he has also done the same at Hearts.

“If you’re looking at it from a neutral viewpoint, which I certainly am not, but if you were, then there’s been excitement this season because Hearts have come up, thrown down the gauntlet to the two big teams and I think that can only be good for the SPL (sic).”

O’Neill said it is “great credit” to Hearts for “going strongly at it and being able to stay there” that Sunday’s clash between Celtic and Rangers can no longer be viewed as a title showdown.

Gers are seven points adrift of the Jambos and four points behind their Old Firm rivals, although second place still carries the reward of a shot at Champions League qualification.

“Rangers now are quite a number of points behind Hearts,” said O’Neill. “We’re talking about three games left, so that would be difficult to overcome at this particular stage.

“It’s not impossible, it can happen. The games are very difficult matches still for all of us to come through. From our own position, we have to try and win the three games.

“Even that, strangely enough at this minute, mathematically, might not be enough but I still think there’s a couple of twists left.

“All we can do is attempt to win our games, which are difficult matches and even if that was the case, then Hearts have a better goal difference than us.

“I suppose I was looking for a draw (between Hearts and Rangers). A draw is very, very difficult to cheer on, but that would then have put it in our own hands.

“As it turns out, mathematically speaking, it’s not actually in our own hands. But credit to the team, we’re still fighting, we still have a chance – there’s no question about it.”