Ex-Hearts star is out to topple his old club as Airdrie try to keep Lawrence Shankland quiet

Hot-shot Lawrence Shankland will be aiming to fire Hearts into the Scottish Cup fifth round on Sunday night, but Airdrie know they have an on-form ex-Jambo in their ranks who could help topple the Tynecastle side.

Nikolay Todorov was the giant killer in the last round when his strike sent St Johnstone spinning out and the Bulgarian goes into the big clash against his old side having also scored the only goal of the game when the Diamonds defeated Raith Rovers last Friday to reach the final of the SPFL Trust Trophy.

Sunday will see two of the most in-form strikers in the country right now face off, with Shankland on a sensational streak of 11 goals in 10 games, while Todorov is five from six for the Diamonds.

Airdrie player/assistant boss Callum Fordyce knows Shankland – who had been linked with a move to Rangers in the January transfer window – will be hard to stop.

But he insists they have a striker with a point to prove, who is capable of doing damage.

Fordyce said: “Nikolay has got that instinct in front of goal and he works his socks off for the team.

“It has taken him a while to settle in, he’s had wee niggles and things like that, but he is doing great now and long may that continue.

“There are bigger heights he can hit.

“When you play against a side you’ve played for before, you’ve always got that bit between your teeth, so he will be looking forward to it.

“The players will have aspirations to go to a higher level and this is the chance for them to prove that.

“Hearts are the third best team in Scotland at the moment and Nikolay and the rest of the players will want to do well against them.

“We know they will be a big threat.

“Lawrence Shankland is obviously a top player. If he’d gone elsewhere you would have