Scott Brown believes Scottish football is set for another tightly contested three-way title race this season, with Celtic, Rangers and Hearts all in the mix.
Celtic secured the Premiership crown on the final day of last term, overtaking long-time leaders Hearts with a home win, while Rangers slipped to third after a late-season downturn.
Speaking to BBC Sport at the Scottish Open pro-am, former Celtic captain Brown said: “I think it’s going to be a three-legged race yet again.
“I think Hearts have been an absolute delight for Scottish football. They’ve done really, really well. I thought Derek did a fantastic job and Martin’s come in at the right point in time.
Read more
-
Martin O'Neill unveils 'intense' pre-season plans as Celtic ramp up preparations
-
Martin O'Neill faces early Celtic selection dilemma as delayed suspension kicks in
-
Celtic star opens up on injury rehabilitation amid long-awaited return to action
“If Martin was there for the whole time, Celtic would win the league nice and easy, but Del’s gone to Rangers now, and he’s a very, very good man-manager and he brings out the best in people.
“Looking at what he does and how he deals with his team, he’ll bring in some more Scottish people, English-based people, that understand the club and the culture as well, which, to be fair, I think Celtic’s done really well over the years.”
Hearts have undergone a managerial change following McInnes’ switch to Ibrox, with Wouter Vrancken appointed as his replacement, while Martin O’Neill has been handed the Celtic job on a permanent basis after impressing in interim charge.
