With rival fans and a few pundits claiming the air had been seeping out of Hearts’ bubble after a few dropped points, the victory over champions Celtic may make them reconsider their opinion.

Hearts’ bubble is very much inflated after the 2–1 victory, and if anyone thought they were about to give up their top-of-the-table position, they should think again.

While the spotlight has been on Hearts’ new recruits this season – the likes of Claudio Braga and Alexandros Kyziridis have claimed much of the attention – the standout player is now in his fifth season at Tynecastle.

Few people had heard of Cammy Devlin when he joined the club in summer 2021. Since then, he has played over 120 times for Hearts and has featured in all 21 games this season.

The 27-year-old is playing the best football of his life at the moment and was a worthy man of the match in the victory at Parkhead. It’s little wonder Derek McInnes is so keen to secure the midfielder on a new contract to keep him at Tynecastle beyond next summer.

Devlin won the most duels (12) of any player at Celtic Park on Sunday and, along with Tomas Magnusson, ranked highest in the Hearts team for possession won (eight).

With four caps to his name, in-form Devlin is a serious contender to in the Socceroos squad for next year’s World Cup.

For Hearts, the opportunity this week is huge – win at Falkirk on Saturday night and go six points clear at the top.

However, the Bairns, astutely managed by former Jambo John McGlynn, have slotted seamlessly into their first top-flight campaign in 15 years and will be no pushover.