Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland has previewed tomorrow’s clash with Celtic in Glasgow with a bizarre quip about refereeing.
The forward opened the scoring in Hearts Europa League play-off defeat against Zurich in St Gallen with a penalty – given after some deliberation between referee and linesman – but isn’t expecting to get the chance from the spot in Paradise tomorrow.
As reported by Edinburgh Live, Shankland said of his spot-kick in Switzerland: “That will be good preparation if we get one there [at Celtic Park]. I doubt it, right enough.”
Hearts were the beneficiaries of some pretty dubious refereeing in last season’s 2-1 win over the champions at Tynecastle, with Liel Abada seeing a perfectly good goal chopped off for offside, and Andy Halliday not even cautioned for a two footed lunge from behind on Callum McGregor.
Though Shankland wasn’t yet at the club, it’s a pretty strange comment from the former Scotland international, who will be playing in Paradise for only the second time tomorrow, should he not be rotated ahead of Thurday’s return leg against the Swiss.
He said: “I’ve only played there once with Dundee United and it was during lockdown so the place was empty. We lost 3-0 in the end. I’ve always been in the lower leagues and then the place was empty when we went there in the Premiership. It will be good. I’m going there with a good team so hopefully we can make our mark.
“That’s who we want to compete with and that’s who were above us in the table last year. The message is clear: We want to get up there and get closer to Celtic and Rangers. To do that, we need to give them a game when we go through to Glasgow.
“We’ve known from the start of the season we would be facing this situation of playing midweek and weekends. Sunday is a big game going to Celtic Park and we will be ready.”
Despite last season’s opening day win over Ange Postecoglou’s side at Tynecastle, Hearts have a very poor recent record at Celtic Park, and are looking to leave Glasgow’s east end with a victory for the first time in nearly thirteen years, tomorrow.
Shankland has scored in each of his last three games for Hearts, including the opener in the Jambos’ last two league matches against Dundee United and in the Edinburgh derby against Hibs.
He will hopefully find the going a little tougher tomorrow when the Champions will look to make it four wins in a row and maintain their place at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
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