Cillian Sheridan has expressed skepticism about the potential impact of Tony Bloom's £9.86m investment in Hearts, questioning whether it can truly challenge the dominance of Celtic and Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

Bloom, who already has a relationship with Hearts through Jamestown Analytics, aims to disrupt the long-standing pattern of domination in Scottish football. However, Sheridan, a former Celtic, Kilmarnock, and Dundee forward, remains unconvinced.

"£9m or £10m. I don't think that's going to challenge Celtic or Rangers," Sheridan told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound. "Celtic could go and buy, and I would imagine they probably will, one player in a transfer in the region of that. It might elevate Hearts above the rest of the pack but I don't think it's enough to challenge the [top] two, really."

Last season, Brighton, under Bloom's ownership, finished eighth in the Premier League, narrowly missing out on European competition. Hearts, on the other hand, finished seventh in the Scottish Premiership, a drop from their third-place finish the previous season.

Sheridan also raised concerns about the player acquisition strategy for Hearts. "Brighton's model was, probably similar to Brentford's, getting players at bargain prices," he said. "They get players who are unheard of. At what stage in the pecking order do Hearts come into it? Do Hearts get the players that Brighton don't want? Which ones are Hearts getting?"

No team outside Celtic or Rangers has won the Scottish top flight in 40 years, with Sir Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen being the last to do so in the 1984-85 season. Sheridan's comments highlight the significant gap that remains between the Old Firm and the rest of the league.

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