Hearts set tone with 'strongest squad' as Cammy Devlin reveals who he doesn't want to sprint with

Performance against Rangers gives Jambos confidence going into season

Hearts did not take all three points against Rangers on the opening day of the season, but in many ways the 0-0 draw at Tynecastle felt like a victory.

This was a strong performance by Steven Naismith's men against a team who beat them five times in the last campaign. Had Hearts found a way past visiting goalkeeper Jack Butland, there could have been few complaints from Rangers. Especially in the first half, the hosts were the dominant force, helped by new signings Gerald Taylor, James Penrice and Yan Dhanda, plus the now fully-fit Barrie McKay.

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Typically tenacious, Cammy Devlin made a big impression alongside Jorge Grant in the midfield battle. This is the 26-year-old's fourth season at Hearts and he is well-placed to assess where the squad is in relation to previous campaign. The Jambos will discover their Europa League play-off opponents on Monday and the Australia internationalist believes the club is well equipped to compete on multiple fronts.

"I think in terms of depth, yes," Devlin said when asked if this is strongest group he's been part of. "I feel like there's boys that will be disappointed they didn't play today. Last season there were games I maybe didn't play and you're disappointed. You're a competitor. You just want to play every game, every minute.

Cammy Devlin salutes the Hearts players after the 0-0 draw against RangersCammy Devlin salutes the Hearts players after the 0-0 draw against Rangers
Cammy Devlin salutes the Hearts players after the 0-0 draw against Rangers | SNS Group

"I feel like this is probably the strongest Hearts squad as a whole that we've had since I've been here. Obviously since I first came here there have been some great players here but I feel like the depth in terms of if one player is not performing or unfortunately picks up an injury, the person that steps in is capable and everyone's willing. That only puts you in good stead for the season."

The display against Rangers give Hearts belief for the season ahead. This performance set the tone. "I feel like last year we competed in these games but now I actually feel like we could have won that game," continued Devlin. "Obviously they had chances, we had chances like any nil-nil draw. But I thought it was a strong performance. The energy and the will to win and win tackles was something that was just the basics of football and it's so important. I spoke after the game last week about that just being something that should be the norm when you're wearing a Hearts jersey."

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Everyone in maroon played their part but Costa Rican right-back Gerald Taylor caught the eye with his power-packed antics from right-back. "He’s an exciting player isn’t he?" smiled Devlin. "He's super quick. I think when we do sprints at training, I try to go in the group behind him so I'm not looking so slow! I feel like you want your full-backs, especially as a midfielder when they're playing the winger, there's someone always running off you. He really helped us in terms of stepping in front of Cortes. He was his man and won the ball.

"His pace is electric. He's an exciting prospect like all our new signings are. But like I said, it's only one game. You just want to keep everyone grounded. But I think for himself and everyone, that was their first Hearts game today. It was super exciting and impressive."

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