Celtic retained the Scottish Premiership title in dramatic fashion, scoring two late goals to break Hearts' resistance and secure a 3-2 victory at Celtic Park. The win sealed a fifth consecutive league championship for the Hoops, ending a tense final-day decider that saw the title race go down to the wire.
Hearts had mounted a spirited challenge throughout the season and took the lead twice in the match, but Celtic's never-say-die attitude prevailed. Manager Brendan Rodgers praised his team's mental courage, saying: 'We make plenty of mistakes, but there's great courage in the team. Not physical courage, mental courage, which has carried us over the line.'
The victory sparked emotional celebrations, with captain Callum McGregor lifting the trophy amid confetti and fireworks. 'Unbelievable. Such a difficult season. So many downs. But the belief in this group is special,' McGregor said. 'It was never going to be easy today. We thought we'd string it out one last time.'
Hearts manager Steven Naismith, whose side pushed Celtic all the way, was gracious in defeat. 'Hearts have been brilliant. And their manager deserves to be manager of the season,' Rodgers acknowledged. 'It's very easy for me to say this, and I'm hoping I would have said it if they'd won the championship.'
The title win completes a remarkable turnaround for Celtic, who had been written off by many after a stop-start campaign. Rodgers, who returned to the club in January after a brief retirement, said: 'Back in October I was enjoying retirement. I get a call to come back, and then I get a call again in January. Obviously, I thought the days of me lifting a trophy at Celtic Park were well and truly gone.'
Attention now turns to next week's Scottish Cup final, where Celtic will look to complete a domestic double. For Hearts, the focus will be on regrouping after a valiant title challenge that ultimately fell just short.
