Nicky Devlin targets Aberdeen lucky 13 against Hearts as perfect Scotland Nations League send off

Nicky Devlin wants to extend Aberdeen’s 100 per cent winning streak and to go away with Scotland on a high.

The 30-year-old has been called up by Steve Clarke's national team for the first time for this month’s Nations League games with Croatia and Portugal. Devlin has been rewarded for some impressive form and helping Aberdeen to 12 straight wins and he is looking to make it 13 when Hearts visit Pittodrie on Sunday.

Devlin stated: “What is really important to me is that we go off to the internationals on the back of a good result against Hearts. The Scotland thing almost doesn't seem real just now, because we've got that game and my full focus just now is on Sunday and making sure we can pick up another three points because I know how hard the boys have worked to get to the position we're in just now.

"Especially going into an international break, we don't want to go into that break on the back of a poor result, we want to go in with another three points and to put ourselves in a really strong position in the league.”

Hearts swapped Aberdeen for Scotland’s third force last season but they have failed to hit the ground running this time around. They are bottom of the Premiership with just two points and are looking for a new boss after Stevie Naismith was sacked. The Jambos also head to the Granite City on the back on an energy-sapping trip to Azerbaijan, where they played Dinamo Minsk in the Europa Conference League.

Devlin knows Hearts have failed to hit the heights but has warned they have quality if they do click. Aberdeen could go a massive 16 points ahead of the capital side with a victory.

“We know we need to be at our best because Hearts have got good players,” the defender acknowledged. “They don't