Hearts v Celtic: Stuart Findlay unfazed by stakes in top of table Premiership clash

Stuart Findlay is adamant the Hearts players are unfazed by the high-stakes nature of Sunday’s top-of-the-table showdown with Celtic as he dismissed any notion that they might be inhibited by pressure.

The unbeaten Jambos know victory over the misfiring champions will take them eight points clear at the top of the William Hill Premiership, which would be the biggest lead any non-Old Firm side has enjoyed this century.

Asked if there was any danger of pressure and expectation adversely affecting the Hearts players given their lofty status, defender Findlay said: “No, I think there can only be one atmosphere in our changing room. It’s one of joy, one of confidence. There’s no point in lying and saying that we’re not confident.

“We’ve won seven out of the eight games in the league, which is an amazing start for us. But I wouldn’t say there’s a pressure of the outside noise because we’ve got such a strong changing room with such a strong message between ourselves of what our targets are.

“We know what we’re focused on and what we have to do going forward.”

Sunday’s match represents one of the biggest that most of the Hearts players will have faced in their careers.

“Any time you play any of the Old Firm there’s a little bit of added edge to it,” said Findlay. “I’m not going to lie and say I don’t know what the league table looks like.

“Of course I know we can go eight points clear but you can go eight points clear after nine games of football and there’s another 29 games to go after that.

“There’s a long, long way to go. We’re not thinking about anything other than trying to get a massive result by beating Celtic at home on Sunday. You win that and then you look forward to a really tough game against St Mirren three days later.

“The fans can think what they want, the fans can enjoy it and they can dream. But we’re in the changing room focusing on the next game in front of us. All we care about just now is a big game at Tynecastle against Celtic that we really, really want to win.

“If you want to play football in Scotland, you look forward to playing against Celtic and Rangers in front of a packed stadium.

“We’ve got a chance to do that in front of probably the most buoyant Tynecastle crowd you could possibly imagine. It’s an experience I’m really, really looking forward to.”

Findlay previously played under Hearts boss Derek McInnes at Kilmarnock and is not surprised that the 54-year-old is having a positive impact at Tynecastle.

“I came into this club knowing what the gaffer can do, what he’d done at Killie and knowing that he’d bring success to this football club,” he said.

“Maybe it’s happened a bit quicker than some people expected. We’ve not achieved anything yet, but it’s been better than I could ever have imagined.”

Findlay played down any notion that Celtic might arrive at Tynecastle in a vulnerable state.

“I think it’s a little bit unfair towards Celtic,” he said. “They’ve lost one league game all season, they’re not exactly in dire straits. We know we’re probably facing the toughest test we’re going to face in the league.”