Steven Naismith leans on Hearts double over Rangers that proves Tynecastle makes any rival unsettled

Two titanic Tynecastle triumphs over Rangers in the space of four weeks built on bravery, belief and brains.

Steven Naismith remembers doing the double over his old club in the dying embers of his playing career - scoring in the first of those and the huge part the crowd played in sinking Steven Gerrard’s side in a maroon tide on Gorgie. Incredibly Hearts haven’t tasted victory over Rangers since that league and cup double dunt just before covid hit early in 2020. Eleven meetings and three managers have come and gone since. But now Naismith is in the hotseat himself he insists he can see a conviction in his players’ eyes that they are ready to end that run.

For 89 minutes at Ibrox back in October it looked on only for an 89th minute James Tavernier penalty and a 93rd minute Danilo strike to swing the points Rangers’ way. At Hampden a week later they barely laid a glove on Philippe Clement’s side, bowing out of the Viaplay Cup 3-1.

But four successive league wins have lifted Hearts into the top three and sent confidence soaring ahead of Wednesday's eagerly awaited third vs second clash. Asked if he could see the belief in his players that they can deliver a first defeat to Clement, Naismith said: “Yes without a doubt. The semi-final is a good marker to show we didn’t lay much on them at all.

“So we need to get away from that and we need to have a bit more of what we did at Ibrox. It wasn’t as if we got the goal and just sat in. We kept the ball and moved it around and created more chances.

“At home it is different. You have the crowd behind you, you have an atmosphere that it intimidating and being on the other side of that as a player is tough to deal with at times.

“That time we beat them, I think we beat them in the