The Old Firm’s dominance of Scottish football and Celtic’s desire for nine-in-a-row was the driving force behind Hearts’ controversial relegation from the top flight, Craig Levein has claimed.

The former Scotland manager said the Parkhead club ‘call the shots with all the big decisions’, branding it ‘really unfair’.

Speaking to this week’s edition of the Football Daft podcast, Levein responded to a question about the Old Firm.

He responded: “I’m fed up with the two of them. Honestly, it’s all people think football is in Scotland, and the Press play up to it all the time. 

“This whole stuff last season with Hearts getting relegated was a nonsense, an absolute nonsense, and part of it was to do with Celtic getting the title so that they could try and break this record of nine-in-a-row. 

“I just can’t be bothered with it. For a while David Murray ran Scottish football and Rangers were calling all the shots and getting all the good publicity and now I think Celtic are doing exactly the same. 

“They call the shots with all the big decisions in Scotland and I think it’s really unfair. So I can’t be bothered with the nonsense.”