Celtic manager Martin O’Neill says everyone wants Hearts to win the league

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill believes “everyone wants Hearts to win” as he prepares his side for Saturday’s Scottish Premiership title decider.

Defending champions Celtic host Hearts (12:30 BST), needing a win to leapfrog them into first place. A win or draw for Hearts would take the league trophy to Tynecastle for the first time since 1960.

O’Neill was asked about the outcome of the penalty award in Celtic’s midweek win at Motherwell, which kept his side within a point of leaders Hearts.

At 2-2, Motherwell’s Sam Nicholson collided with the Aston trustee and, after VAR intervention, John Beaton ruled that Nicholson had committed a handball.

Hearts manager Derek McInnes described the award as “disgusting” and said his side were “up against everyone”. Other prominent pundits have questioned the spot-kick, which was converted by Kelechi Iheanacho.

But O’Neill said: “It’s obviously grown because of the show as much as anything else.

“Am I surprised? No, I’m not, because everyone wants Hearts to win. It’s as simple as that really.

“Everyone outside of Celtic and the Celtic diaspora wants Hearts to win.

“And so if it’s not Hearts, it’s going to be Rangers, it’s going to be somebody else. That’s the nature of it.”