Heart of Midlothian

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Former Scotland goalkeeper Cammy Bell says he would choose Craig Gordon "all day long" to start the opening World Cup match against Haiti despite the 43-year-old's age and lack of game time this season.

Gordon had not featured for Hearts since January when he played the opening 45 minutes of Saturday's 4-1 friendly win over Curacao at Hampden.

But Bell, who is four years younger than Gordon and retired six years ago, feels "the experience he's got" is something Scotland will need "going on such a big stage" at the finals in the United States.

Speaking on the BBC's Scottish football podcast, Bell said: "There's going to be a huge amount of pressure on the team and the players to go and get a result in that first game," he said.

"Yes, Gordon has not played a lot this season, but we could have said that in previous games for Scotland where he's had to step in, he's had to come in cold and perform and he manages to do that. He makes big moments, he makes big saves.

"I just think the experience will get him through it, I really do."

Rangers' Liam Kelly played his third game since January when taking over from Gordon for the second half against Curacao, while Angus Gunn has played once for Nottingham Forest this year and his only other outing was in Scotland's friendly defeat by Japan in March.

"That probably plays in the favour of Craig Gordon that the other two that he's competing against haven't had a lot of game time this season either," Bell suggested.

"So, for me, it would be Craig Gordon purely going by his experience and certainly as well you've got to mention he's still a top, top goalkeeper as well.

"If you've not played a lot of games, you're relying on your experience. And that's why I've got to sway towards Craig Gordon.

"He's got so much experience, over 80 caps for Scotland. That's a huge amount of experience on his shoulders and he'll walk into this no problem for me."

Falkirk and Hearts have agreed a fee for Calvin Miller and the 28-year-old winger will join the Edinburgh club once he has completed a medical. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Hearts are close to finalising the signing of 24-year-old forward Amadou Ba-Sy from Rouen as well as Falkirk winger Calvin Miller. (Hearts Standard), external

Estoril sports director Helena Costa says they are still planning for next season with Ian Cathro as head coach but admits there is a lot of interest in the former Hearts and Dundee United boss. (The Herald), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Former Aberdeen and Motherwell manager Mark McGhee has revealed he nearly took the Hearts job during Vladimir Romanov's Tynecastle reign.

The Russian-Lithuanian businessman took control of the Edinburgh club in early 2005 and remained owner until Hearts entered administration in 2013.

During that period, McGhee managed English clubs Brighton and Bristol Rovers, as well as Scottish sides Aberdeen and Motherwell.

He later worked as Gordon Strachan's assistant manager with the Scottish national team, before returning to Motherwell and then having spells at Barnet, Stockport and, finally, back in Scotland with Dundee in 2022.

But the 69-year-old told the BBC's Sacked in the Morning podcast that he nearly joined Hearts.

"I almost took the Hearts job at one point," he said. "When you take a job, the most important thing is that you know the parameters."

McGhee went on to joke: "If the parameters at Hearts include the fact that you're going to get a phone call in the dugout from Romanov telling you to make a substitution, then as long as you know that before you take the job, you can't complain."

Hearts hope to complete the signing of 28-year-old Falkirk winger Calvin Miller this week. (Scottish Sun), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Hearts midfielder Cammy Devlin is heading to the World Cup after being chosen in Australia's 26-man squad.

Hibs forward Martin Boyle is one of four players to be dropped by head coach Tony Popovic following their extended training camp.

But Devlin, who returned from injury to play Hearts' final six games of the season, will get the chance to add to his four caps.

It will be his second World Cup finals.

Former Hearts defender Kye Rowles, now with DC United, had been added late to the training squad but did not make the final selection.

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Cammy Devlin has not closed the door on extending his stay at Hearts despite interest in England and the MLS, with the 27-year-old's representatives still talking to those in charge at Tynecastle over a new contract while exploring options elsewhere. (Daily Record - subscription required), external

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Hearts striker Claudio Braga and head coach Derek McInnes have been honoured in BBC Sport's first end-of-season football awards.

Voted for by our expert pundits, dedicated team of journalists, and specialist football programme makers, these awards celebrate the players who starred in the Premier League, Women's Super League, Scottish Premiership and EFL in 2025-26.

Scottish Premiership player of the season - Claudio Braga

Braga helped fire Hearts' title charge, with the tenacious Portuguese forward scoring 14 goals and providing three assists as his side fell just short on the final day.

Motherwell winger Elijah Just was in second, while Braga's Hearts team-mate Lawrence Shankland - who is moving to Rangers - came third.

Scottish Premiership manager of the season - Derek McInnes

This one was hotly contested, but Hearts boss McInnes won by a single vote ahead of Motherwell's Jens Berthel Askou.

Like Braga, McInnes will be left to rue Hearts' defeat by champions Celtic on the last day, which meant the wait for a non-Old Firm manager to win the Scottish title has stretched to 41 years.

Askou guided Motherwell to an impressive fourth-placed finish and guaranteed European football, although the Dane has left to become head coach of Toulouse.

Martin O'Neill led Celtic to their fifth straight title - and lifted the spirits of a struggling club after the exits of Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy - but only came third for our award.

Having already rejected offers in the region of £500,000 plus add-ons for Malachi Fagan-Walcott, League Two club York City have turned down a third bid from Hearts for the 24-year-old centre-back. (Sky Sports), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Gordon Marshall is leaving St Johnstone to become the new goalkeeping coach at Hearts.

The former Scotland international, who previously worked with head coach Derek McInnes at St Johnstone and Aberdeen, moves to Tynecastle in June.

He replaces Paul Gallacher, who departs after 10 years' service.

Marshall will be assisted by Jamie MacDonald, who has retired from playing after two years with Hearts' B team.

Hearts have also confirmed Steve Walker will join as the new head of the medical department. Walker has spent the past 15 years as first-team physio at Rangers.

And Will Lancefield ends his five-year stint as Hearts head of recruitment to join Luton Town.

"Will joined the Jambos in 2021 and has played a key role in identifying targets and bringing them to the club, and then integrating Jamestown Analytics into the club's recruitment structure," Hearts said.

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Luton Town have named William Lancefield as their new head of recruitment.

He moves to the League One club after leaving a similar role with Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.

Lancefield has previously had roles in scouting and analysis with Southampton, Norwich City, Tottenham and Brighton.

"William's arrival is a significant coup for Luton Town," Hatters chief executive Gary Sweet told the club website., external

"We're looking forward to working with him and excited about the impact he can make as we evolve our recruitment structure and processes in preparation for the new season and beyond."

WIth Lancefield's arrival at Kenilworth Road, Luton have announced the departures of head of recruitment analysis Jay Socik and Alexander Wilkinson, who was a senior scout.

Luton finished seventh in League One this season and also won the EFL Trophy by beating Stockport County 3-1 at Wembley in April.

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Former Hearts boss Robbie Neilson expects goalkeeper Craig Gordon to remain at the club next season but believes Cammy Devlin is unlikely to stay.

Both players are out of contract but were not on the club's exit list on Wednesday.

Hearts have offered Devlin, 27, a new deal and are awaiting a response from the Australia midfielder.

Scotland international Gordon, 43, will also head to the World Cup with his club future up in the air.

"I think Craig Gordon will be one that they'll try [to give a new deal]," Neilson told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"He's so well associated with the club. I don't know if he'll maybe look to progress into some sort of coaching role, as a player/coach or something like that, or even in the background at the executive level. I think Craig had always thought about doing that side of things.

"Cammy Devlin, I think it'll depend on what other offers he gets, and I would expect him to get some good ones.

"Whether it be in Europe, or there was talk of the MLS, you could go there and probably earn a significant sum more than Hearts could afford."

Among the four players leaving are Beni Baningime and Frankie Kent.

Despite several spells on the sidelines through injury this term, Baningime managed 30 appearances across all competitions.

And Neilson was surprised to see the 27-year-old midfielder's name among the departures.

"The one for me that was interesting was Baningime," he added.

"I know he's had a lot of injuries but when he plays, Hearts play well.

"With Jamestown Analytics I know they have a say on not just the recruitment but also the retention so maybe they are flagging up differently, I don't know. But he was the one that I thought they would try to keep."

Hearts are in talks to sign 24-year-old striker Amadou Ba-Sy from Ligue 3 outfit Rouen in a transfer that will cost in the region of £170,000. (Scottish Sun), external

Read Thursday's Scottish football gossip

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Hearts will have to replace not only Lawrence Shankland's goals but also his influence on the dressing.

The striker joined Premiership rivals Rangers on a pre-contract and will officially link up with his new club once the transfer window opens.

The 30-year-old scored 20 goals in 34 appearances across all competitions for Derek McInnes' side but that's not the only metric Hearts will assess when looking for a replacment.

"It's a huge blow, if you were looking to the squad and the one player that you don't want to lose, it's Shankland," Joel Sked of the Hearts Standard told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"You're not trying to replace a 20-goal-a-season striker, you're having to replace a leader in the dressing room, that gets underplayed a bit, just how influential he is within the squad.

"You're also having to replace a talismanic figure, a brilliant link striker. Unless you watch him every week, I don't think you get an appreciation of just how intelligent he is.

"His vision is brilliant, his awareness, his technique is excellent. I can understand the anger amongst the Hearts fans.

"The reception he'll get when he comes back to Tynecastle will be spicy, just with the manner of the exit. That's the big thing. A lot of fans are understandably irate around the manner and timing of it.

"A lot of fans feel duped about his contract situation, it was a three-year contract, but it wasn't publicised around the break clause, very few people knew about it, and he's obviously taken that, and it's just a really difficult one for fans to stomach."

We asked for your views on Lawrence Shankland's exit and what Hearts need to do now.

Here's what some of you said:

Jock: Not a surprise although disappointing. We must focus on the future - Champions League, a successful fans owned club who are the envy of the world, and an executive, with the support of Jamestown, that have already proved we are capable of doing something special. Don't be surprised to see Shankland back in a couple of years.

James: What a week. A large hole to be filled. We absolutely need a proven goalscorer to raise the bar, not a project type player. Over to you Hearts. The majority shareholders [fans] need a full explanation as to why this was initially announced as a three-year contract. Minimum standard of Bojan Miovski or Tawanda Maswanhise required.

Jim: I wish Shankland well, he gave me and lots of other Hearts fans many, many moments of joy over his four seasons. I, like many others, knew he was a lifelong Rangers fan so it comes as no surprise he has got what he wanted. Hearts will hope that Jamestown Analytics will uncover another striking gem to fill Shankland's boots. Is it possible James Wilson will return from Spurs to lead the line next season? He has the potential. Or will our North Macedonian league signing Rogers Mato emerge from the shadows and take the league by storm? Whatever happens I feel Hearts will challenge again next season and maybe go one better.

Campbell: The loss of Shankland to a competitor is massive but we have to turn the problem into an opportunity. Hearts are playing in Europe and have a great squad. We need to add a couple of strikers and hope they can be as prolific as Shanks.

Callum: It's 43 years since I felt the bottomless pit in my stomach on hearing the rumours regarding Shankland. Back then it was the announcement by my stunning girlfriend, Ailsa, that she was breaking up our 15-month relationship to see someone else. Time heals and we will find an even better replacement. We are in the very early days of JTA and it was always going to take two to three years to transition to an "approved squad". I trust JTA and so the impact will be short before we are back to winning the league title again.

Francis: Thought we were progressing and building something for the future, it would appear that we are still a feeder club.

David: Absolutely gutted but at the end of the day you have to be grateful to Shanks for all he has done for the club. It must have been extremely difficult for him when all the previous rumours about him going to Rangers came to nothing. It's what he has obviously always wanted so best of luck to him. Up to somebody else to step up now. Onwards and upwards.

Gary: Hearts must, and will, recover after losing Shankland. We will probably change our style and it may be a case of one step backwards two to go forward. Tony Bloom has been galvanised, Jamestown will provide talent, this project has just started.

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Lawrence Shankland has asked Hearts fans to "understand and respect" his decision to grasp an opportunity he "couldn't turn down" to leave for the club he supported as boy, Scottish Premiership rivals Rangers.

The 30-year-old Scotland striker exits just a year after signing a new three-year contract with the Edinburgh club.

But he posted a message of thanks on Instagram to all the staff and team-mates with whom he had worked during his time there.

"From the moment I walked through the doors of the club, I felt at home," Shankland said. "It has been a privilege and an honour to represent Hearts for four unforgettable seasons.

"To captain Hearts even once would have been special, but to do it as many times as I did fills me with immense pride.

"Leading the team out at Tynecastle was always an incredible feeling - especially last season, when the atmoshpere was truly unforgettable.

"I leave the club having been part of a second-place finish, the club's highest points return in the league, 88 goals, and four seasons filled with moments and matches I will never forget.

"My family and I have loved every minute at the club and meeting so many wonderful people along the way.

"At this stage of my career, the opportunity to join my boyhood club was one I simply couldn't turn down and I hope you can understand and respect that decision.

"Finally, to the fans - hearing my name sung from all four stands of Tynecastle is something I never took for granted. I'll always be grateful for the incredible love and support you showed me through my time at the club."

Greg Playfair
Fan writer

Hot on the heels of title heartbreak, the departure of captain and talisman Lawrence Shankland to Rangers is another crushing blow.

This summer was already shaping up to be a major rebuild for Derek McInnes. It becomes much more difficult when you now need to replace your leader, your top goalscorer and, in the eyes of many supporters, your best player.

On a human level, it is not difficult to understand the attraction for Shankland, who grew up supporting Rangers and will earn more money at Ibrox than Tynecastle.

The bigger issue is what his exit - 12 months after signing a three-year deal - says about Hearts' decision-making. It is a damaging outcome for a club trying to present itself as ambitious and well run.

That is what makes this so difficult to take. Shankland still delivered on the pitch, with 20 goals this season and six assists, and Hearts were entitled to believe keeping him gave them the best possible chance of competing at the top.

But if, as appears to be the case, he has gone for little or no transfer fee, supporters are bound to question how that situation was allowed to develop.

Across his four-year Hearts career, Shankland scored 88 goals and supplied 29 assists in 171 appearances. That is not routine output to replace and it underlines the scale of the challenge now facing us.

If Hearts genuinely want to go one step further next season, then losing a player of this importance is a major setback. It weakens us immediately and strengthens a direct rival.

His legacy in Gorgie may now feel complicated for some supporters, but it should still be a significant one. He was a hero to many younger fans, wore the armband with authority and gave Hearts some huge moments.

He may not have lifted silverware in maroon, but he scored against every domestic opponent he faced and stepped up as captain in an emotional period after Craig Gordon's double leg break in December 2022. Those contributions should not be forgotten.

He will also be remembered for the moments supporters love - the seven Edinburgh derby goals, the edge in his game, and even that pie-eating episode at Tynecastle after scoring against Hibs.

I wish him well with Scotland at the World Cup this summer but after that, I hope he suffers the worst spell in front of goal of his whole career!

The bigger concern now is how Hearts respond. If Jamestown Analytics and the recruitment team are as strong as supporters have been encouraged to believe, this is the moment to prove it.

Hearts may need more than one signing to replace the goals, leadership and presence Shankland brought, but a decisive response is now essential.

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland

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Derek McInnes asserted at various times throughout the season that Lawrence Shankland is the best striker in Scottish football.

That remains up for debate – but one thing for certain is Hearts' loss is Rangers' gain.

Eleven months after the striker ended a saga over his future by signing a three-year deal to stay at Tynecastle, he has abruptly left to join a direct rival.

The 30-year-old Scotland international's stats make impressive reading. He leaves with an overall record of 88 goals – plus 29 assists – in 171 games for Hearts.

Since his move to Tynecastle in summer 2022, no player has scored more Premiership goals than Shankland, who hit 72 in 135 matches. He is also top in that timeframe for shots and shots on target.

With Shankland in the team, Hearts had a win rate of 49.6% and averaged 1.7 points per game. When he was absent, those figures fell to 41% and 1.41 respectively.

In his prolific debut year in Gorgie, Shankland netted 28 across all competitions. It made him the club's first player since John Robertson in 1991-92 to break the 20-goal barrier in a season – he departs having achieved the feat in three of his four Tynecastle campaigns.

His numbers dipped last term as Hearts struggled, finishing in the bottom six under Neil Critchley, but he has been back to his best this season as McInnes' side fell just short of an incredible title triumph.

Shankland was joint second in the Premiership goal chart – behind Motherwell's Tawanda Maswanhise (17) – with 16 goals, from an xG of just 11.32. The Hearts skipper had the fourth most shots and shots on target, scored 10 of his 21 big chances and was also top five for touches in the opposition box.

Of course, there's more to Shankland than goals. "Proper captain", "huge influence on our team" and "best signing" were other accolades Hearts boss McInnes bestowed upon the skipper and striker.

Link-up play, game intelligence and leadership are all assets Shankland brings to Ibrox and Hearts must find a way of replacing.

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Hearts took just 49 words to announce the end of Lawrence Shankland's Tynecastle career.

The striker was a hero in Gorgie, but moves on after four years and will officially become a Rangers player next month.

"Heart of Midlothian can confirm that Lawrence Shankland is leaving the club to join Rangers," the club's statement said.

"The striker will make the move to Ibrox on undisclosed terms once the summer transfer window opens on June 15th.

"We thank Lawrence for all of his efforts during his four years in Gorgie."

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Lawrence Shankland says he will always be grateful to Hearts, but is now ready to lead Rangers' drive for silverware.

The Scotland striker, 30, has swapped Tynecastle for Ibrox on a two-year contract with the option for a further 12 months.

Glasgow-born Shankland scored 20 goals for Hearts last season and 88 in a four-year spell.

Rangers passed up the chance to sign him under Russell Martin last summer but head coach Danny Rohl was quick to snap him up.

Shankland, who captained Hearts in recent campaigns, told Rangers TV: "The last two or three years have been huge in terms of development of the leadership side.

"Obviously, it's not easy to be captain, Hearts are another big club, and there are a lot of pressures as well.

"It's a responsibility I feel I've dealt with pretty well. There have been a couple of tough moments in there as well with Hearts that we had to deal with and come through.

"We had a good season last year, but I now come here with all those learning curves done and I feel like I am in a really good spot in my career to join Rangers.

"When you come to make the decision to leave, it's never easy. It was a bit easier, the fact that it's obviously Rangers, but listen, Hearts have been a huge part of my life for the last four years, and I'll always be grateful to them for the opportunities they gave me."

Rangers fans, is Shankland's signing a serious statement of intent as the club look to get back among the silverware? Tell us here.

Hearts fans, where does Shankland's exit leave your club? What needs to happen now? Have your say.