Former Celtic and Scotland manager Gordon Strachan reckons a place in the Champions League for Hearts could shift the landscape of Scottish football.

The Jambos lead the Premiership going into the split fixtures, that starts against Strachan’s boyhood heroes Hibs, ahead of second-placed Rangers by a point and defending champions Celtic sit three off their pace. If boss Derek McInnes were to guide Hearts to their first top flight title since 1960, they’d get a crack at a Champions League play-off tie at the start of next season.

Strachan reckons that with Rangers and Celtic holding a financial edge in Scottish football, the cash benefits of Hearts getting through that could tip the scales entirely. He feels a place at Europe’s top table could give the Tynecastle club the footing to offer a permanent challenge to the Glasgow duo.

“I think if Hearts get into the Champions League and the money it brings in, they could be a permanent challenge to Rangers and Celtic,” said Strachan. “But, they won’t get into it automatically. That’s the problem. If they went automatically into it, I would say, you’ve got a point there. But the only thing is if you do really well in the league, people want to buy your players. That’s the problem. It’s always been the problem.

“But that’s another story, that comes to the next level. What I’m saying is, if you went automatically into the Champions League things could change for good, but getting there is hard. Being in the play-offs is hard. Because as I said, there are a number of times you play against clubs that are up and running in their season and you play.

“They’re playing against teams from Sweden who have played 18 games already. So it can be a problem. But as I said, if they went straight into the Champions League and into the group stage, then yeah they could be up there again, because that money’s coming to you right away.”

With Rangers and Celtic having turbulent campaigns, Strachan sees Hearts as the favourites to go all the way. The former national team boss, now Edinburgh’s technical director, may not be a neutral but he can’t help but admire what the Jambos have managed to accomplish.

“I think if you talk about momentum, it’s funny enough that with this break they’ve had, with the three teams, you wonder if it’s going to help Celtic, this momentum, by taking a break away from that bad result,” Strachan said in association with OLBG. “Or does it linger? Or does it give Hearts time to think, ‘Jesus, we’re in the league here and we can’t afford to do anything’? My only advice to Hearts would be to continue. Have no fear. If there is fear and it creeps in and you try to play safe, then you’ll have a problem. But I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think at this moment in time, my guess, and it’s only a guess, would be Hearts winning the league.

“I was a Hibs supporter when I was a kid and I do admire what Hearts are doing, but I’m definitely not neutral. I’m from a family of Hibs supporters, but I admire what they’ve done and I admire that they’ve given Celtic and Rangers a scare. It’s been the perfect storm for them. They’ve got a lot better. They’ve got a great manager. They’ve got a great back end. They’ve picked the right people with recruitment.

“Funny enough, to talk about recruitment, the best thing they’ve done was Derek McInnes, who was just 60 miles down the road. Do I think they will do it? Yes, I do. I actually do. They’ve been very good, but they’re no ‘blow your mind away’ team. It’s just that the standard of the Glasgow teams has been poor this year, absolutely poor. I think Celtic have got a real fight on their hands, and that’s hard for me to say. But I think it really is hard for them now.”