Rudi Skacel has revisited the painful memory of Heart of Midlothian’s dramatic title collapse in 2012, describing how he felt physically sick when the team lost at Celtic Park. The former Tynecastle midfielder watched as Heart of Midlothian, needing only a draw to become champions, took the lead through Lawrence Shankland before Celtic produced a late comeback to win 3-1 and secure the league.

Skacel was not part of the squad that day but had spent time around Derek McInnes’s group during the tense run-in. He said he was convinced they had the mental strength and unity to finish the job, making the eventual outcome a major personal disappointment. He also felt it represented a significant loss for Scottish football as a whole.

Belief in this season's squad

Despite the lingering pain of that day, Skacel’s focus is now on the present Heart of Midlothian team. He has recently observed the squad in training and spoken with the management, and he came away impressed by their collective spirit. Skacel stated that the current group looks strong mentally and has a good relationship among the players, qualities he believes make them deserving of success.

This endorsement comes as Heart of Midlothian sit third in the standings with 13 points from seven games, a position built on a recent run of three wins, one draw, and one defeat. The team's recent form shows a clear resilience, and a deeper look at the stats reveals their attacking output, having scored 14 goals so far this season. Their top scorer is James Wilson with three goals. The club's ambition to close the five-point gap to leaders Celtic will be tested in their upcoming fixtures.

Skacel's belief extends to the depth of the current squad, which he feels possesses the necessary unity and talent. He remains a revered figure at Tynecastle, having won the Scottish Cup twice with the club, including scoring a double in the famous 5-1 final victory over Hibernian in 2012. His latest comments blend a candid reckoning with past heartbreak with firm belief in this season's squad’s potential to write a different story.

This story first appeared at LiveScore