Lawrence Shankland believes Hearts can travel to face Rangers with real belief after a strong start to the league season.
The sides meet at Ibrox in contrasting league form, with Hearts tucked just behind Celtic on goal difference after three wins and a draw, while Rangers are in seventh place having drawn all four of their games so far under Russell Martin.
Translating form into a result in Glasgow hasn’t always been straightforward for Hearts but Shankland believes the team needs to treat the fixture just like any other and take an attacking approach.
“I think we just need to approach it the same way we’ve approached all the games we’ve played this season,” he said.
“First and foremost, we want to go there and win and that’s what we’ll try to do on the day.
“Obviously you’ll go with your game plan, try and make things happen the way we want them to go in the game and go and enjoy it, enjoy that.
“Not a bit of pressure on you, people are expecting you to go there and get a result, you need to enjoy that and thrive in that.
“I think where we are positivity wise and the way we’ve started the season we can go there and enjoy it.”
“First and foremost, as I said, we’ll like to go there and win the game and it’s simple.”
After a summer of big investment in the squad, paired with recruitment guidance from Jamestown Analytics, hopes are high for a season to remember, and some have tipped Hearts to challenge at the top end of the table, and perhaps split the Old Firm.
A win at Ibrox would see the Tynecastle side open up a nine-point gap on Rangers but Shankland played down the significance of that so early in the campaign.
“I didn’t know that to be fair,” he said. “I think this stage of the season would be [early to start] looking at league tables. Of course it’s always nice to see yourself at the top end there, but we all know it’s early days and there’s a lot of football we’ve played, so it’s another game for us, another 90 minutes of football and I think that’s where we need to focus all our energy.
“So another game we need to go and try and win first and foremost, and then after that we’ll see where that leaves us.”
The striker did agree that a landmark result in Govan would add to the team’s momentum and could help some of the new recruits who haven’t played in similar fixtures. But even with that lack of experience in some areas, he is certain Hearts can have an afternoon to remember.
“It would obviously breed confidence [to win],” he said.
“It’s going to be some of the boys’ first experience, maybe the biggest experience of a big stadium in front of big crowds and stuff as well so that will play its part.
“It’s up to us experienced boys in the changing room that have been there to get around them and support them, whether that be before the match or on the pitch as well.
“We will all need each other and you know when you go through to Glasgow you always need to be on your game to get a result there.
“But I believe we’re capable, with the confidence we’re playing with at the minute and the belief we’ve got
“We’re in a good position to go into any game and we would be happy going anywhere at the weekend, so we can look forward to it.”
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