There is a different vibe about Scottish football right now with Hearts leading the Premiership table.
They are unbeaten in the league, nine points clear of champions Celtic – who have a game in hand – and are outscoring every other team.
The threat from Edinburgh prompted changes of manager at both Celtic and Rangers last month, which is almost unprecedented. Many fans used to the Glasgow clubs monopolising league titles for the last 40 years are enjoying a bit of variety for however long it lasts.
One round of league fixtures have been played with three more to go, so it is too early for anyone to get carried away. Both Celtic and Rangers are expected to improve and Hearts need to sustain form through the testing winter period if they want to challenge seriously. So far, they look dominant, strong and confident under new head coach Derek McInnes.
Underpinning this prominence is a certain Cammy Devlin. The Australian midfielder is playing some of the best football of his career four years since arriving in Scotland.
He earned a recall to the Socceroos last month for friendlies against Canada and USA. It is no surprise Tony Popovic noticed his form and, provided it doesn’t drop, he will surely come into contention for a World Cup place next year.
Devlin’s midfield energy and tenacity are obvious qualities, but other aspects of his game have improved quite visibly. He passes the ball and retains possession better, he thinks more before diving into tackles, and his discipline is also refined. He has been cautioned only twice in 16 games this term, compared to six yellow cards at the same stage last season.
An average league rating of 7.9 underlines Devlin’s consistency, combined with a passing accuracy of 88.3 per cent and 12 scoring chances created. He has also won 24 fouls to date, indicating opponents struggle to dispossess him.
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Aggression was always one of his strengths but other qualities are now shining through thanks to the work of McInnes and his coaching staff.
Fans are also taking note in the stands at Tynecastle Park. McInnes named the same Hearts team for six games in a row up until last weekend. Whenever I hear supporters discussing freshening up the starting line-up, comments like, “Cannae drop wee Cammy” are prominent in the conversation.
Devlin’s central midfield partnership with Beni Baningime is a strong axis on which Hearts have built a new-look side determined to upset Scottish football’s status quo.
Devlin isn’t the only Australian international to appreciate in our league, of course. Keanu Baccus helped St Mirren reach the Scottish League Cup final last weekend with an emphatic 4-1 win over Motherwell at Hampden Park.
Baccus is playing slightly deeper in his second spell in Paisley compared to the first, and is in many ways as pivotal to St Mirren as Devlin is to Hearts.
Under the Northern Irish coach Stephen Robinson, St Mirren have been one of Scottish football’s huge successes in recent years. Baccus was an integral part of the team before leaving to join English side Mansfield Town in summer 2024.
He returned a year later and slotted back in seamlessly. He is worth watching ahead of the final against Celtic, also at Hampden, on 14 December. Maybe Popovic will take a look, too.
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Other Australians making an impact here are the Dundee United striker Zac Sapsford and Motherwell forward Apostolos Stamatelopoulos. Sapsford has struck five goals in 14 games since joining United in June and looks a shrewd acquisition from Western Sydney Wanderers. He is a mobile centre-forward with a physical presence playing in a capable side under Jim Goodwin.
Stamatelopoulos has scored four times in his last six Motherwell outings. Their playing style under the Danish coach Jens Berthel Askou centres around passing and building play from defence. When they work it forward, they are a joy to watch and Stamatelopoulos gives them a crucial attacking focal point.
It would be remiss amid all this positivity not take time out to wish Ryan McGowan a speedy return to full health. He recently spent three and a half weeks in hospital with a nasty leg infection which at one point looked capable of threatening his career.
He is now recovering and his club, Livingston, have been supporting him since he was allowed home.
“At one point, it was about getting out [of hospital] with two legs,” said McGowan about the severity of the infection. As one of the most popular Australians in the Scottish league, let’s hope he is back on our pitches soon.