Rangers icon Kris Boyd has floated the idea that Hearts could one day challenge the Old Firm dominance in Scottish football.
Speaking on The Warm Up, Boyd shared his belief that the Edinburgh club might have the potential to mount a title challenge within the next few decades.
The discussion began when host Gordon Duncan posed a thought-provoking question: “Will we see another non-Old Firm title winner again in your lifetime?”
Former Scotland manager Gordon Strachan, known for his sharp wit, quipped about life expectancy, referencing himself and fellow guest Craig Levein, before passing the question to Boyd.
“If you’d have said to me a few years ago, I’d have said no,” Boyd admitted.
“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.”
While Boyd’s optimism is notable, the current reality is far from such lofty aspirations. Hearts find themselves languishing near the foot of the Scottish Premiership table, second-bottom and only one point clear of Hibernian, who hold a game in hand.
Meanwhile, Boyd has been vocal about his concerns regarding Rangers’ form under Philippe Clement.
Despite the team’s recent string of victories, Boyd remains unimpressed by their performances and has urged Clement to avoid using the “new team” excuse.
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.
“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.”
Boyd’s blunt assessment underscores the challenges facing Clement as he looks to steer Rangers towards consistent performances, a task that remains crucial in the coming months.