Andrew Shinnie is relishing his leadership role within the Livingston squad after he signed on earlier this week for a third season with the West Lothian club.

The 33-year-old joined the Lions in 2021 and manager David Martindale sees the former Inverness, Birmingham and Luton midfielder as one of the senior figures in a dressing room that is about to lose captain Nicky Devlin – among others – under freedom of contract this summer.

Shinnie, who penned a one-year extension to the end of next term, is aware he might not be the first name on the team-sheet every week, but he is happy to help guide his younger colleagues.

“We’ll probably lose a couple of important players but Davie and the staff will hopefully recruit some gems like they normally find, and we’ve also got the nucleus of a strong squad that will still be here,” said Shinnie.

“As a senior pro, I want to really help the group kick on next year, on and off the park.

“I’ve spoken about it with Davie and I know I might not play as regularly as I’d have wanted when I was younger but I’ll still be doing my all to be on the pitch every week and if not, I’ll be there to try to push the boys on and support them in every way.”

Asked if leadership came naturally to him, Shinnie – whose brother Graeme is the captain of Aberdeen – said: “Probably, yes, but I’ve definitely developed it since I came to Livingston.

“There are quite a lot of young players here so I’ve taken that onus on. Davie’s helped me with it as well, he’s put a lot of responsibility on me, so I definitely think I’ve developed it.

“I think boys feel comfortable pulling me for little chats if they need advice or whatever, and I’ve quite enjoyed that side of it since I came here.

“You need to take that ownership as a more older, senior player to be there for the group and try and be a calming influence at rough times because football can be difficult. You need to be level-headed.”

Shinnie is currently trying to guide his team-mates through their toughest spell of the season. The Lions head to Kilmarnock on Saturday on the back of a run of eight defeats in 11 games in all competitions.

“We were really disappointed to miss out on the top six after having such a good two-thirds of the season,” said Shinnie. “We’ve tailed off a bit at the wrong time which has killed us.

“We’re still a couple of points ahead in seventh and we want to finish best of the rest (top of the bottom six).

“Killie are another team fighting for their lives and they have a great home record so it’s going to be hard. It’s another challenge for us.”

Celtic defender Greg Taylor admits it was an amazing feeling to deliver the title in style but neither he nor his team-mates will sit back and reflect.

Taylor is determined to push on and improve after wrapping up back-to-back cinch Premiership crowns with victory over Hearts on Sunday.

A record Scottish top-flight points tally of 107 is in Celtic’s sights if they win their last four games and then they have a shot at the treble when they face Inverness in the Scottish Cup final.

Taylor said: “It’s a club that demands trophies, demands success and to deliver it playing a brand of football the way we do is amazing.

“We have not rested on what we did last year at all. We knew there was more in us and there is still more to come.

“We want to improve going into next season but most importantly we want to finish this season strongly first. We have got four league games and a cup final so we have more to look forward to.

“We are all so driven and keen for success and we believe every last word the gaffer says to us is going to help us and stand us in good stead.

“It’s been a really successful season thus far but there is still more to come.”

Manager Ange Postecoglou praised his players for their self-motivation after their title triumph and Taylor feels the collective attitude is special.

“It’s something you have got to appreciate because it doesn’t come easy to have that amount of boys that are so keen for success and keen to improve their game,” the 25-year-old said.

“They want of course to improve and wherever they end up. But right now, in the here and now for Celtic, every player in that changing room loves it, and long may it continue.

“There is such a strong belief. We don’t waste any training session, any game.”

The former Kilmarnock left-back has produced his best football this season.

“I hope so because I aim to improve as I go along,” he said. “Thus far it’s been my best level but hopefully there’s more to come from myself as well.

“It’s just a small part in a collective. The real reason we have been so successful this year is the collective.

“Everyone has played their part, 20-25 boys have all contributed throughout the season, so real credit to the whole group.”

It was a defining weekend at the top of the cinch Premiership but also a significant one throughout the table.

The first fixture list after the split produced drama in abundance.

Here, the PA news agency picks out five things we learned from the weekend’s action.

Celtic are champions again

It was a matter of when and not if Celtic clinched the title after beating Rangers again at Parkhead and they wrapped it up with a 2-0 success against Hearts at Tynecastle. They came through a tough 45 minutes and were helped by a contentious red card for Alex Cochrane but the opening goal was a fitting piece of play from three key contributors throughout the campaign. Callum McGregor’s lofted pass found the run of Reo Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi was on hand to net his 30th goal of the season.

Out with the old, in with the new for Rangers

Allan McGregor, Alfredo Morelos and the injured Ryan Kent were notable absentees from the Gers starting line-up after Scottish Cup defeat by Celtic effectively ended their season. Michael Beale had promised Gers fans they would see goalkeeper Robby McCrorie before the end of the season and he replaced veteran keeper McGregor for the 1-0 win over Aberdeen. It was a first Gers outing for the 25-year-old since playing in a 1-0 win over Celtic in August, 2021. McCrorie put in a solid performance against the Pittodrie side, making good saves from  Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes and Shayden Morris in particular. Morelos’ chances of playing against Celtic next week look slim after Beale’s analysis of his performance: “I think you saw a difference when Alfredo came on in terms of energy but not a positive difference as well.”

A good week for Hibernian in the race for Europe

There have been times this season when Lee Johnson has been under immense pressure amid fears his Hibs side might fail to make the top six, but the Edinburgh side appear be coming good at just the right time to qualify for Europe. Their 2-1 victory over St Mirren on Saturday made it seven points from three games and moved them three points clear of the Buddies with a superior goal difference. Fifth place will be enough to earn a European spot if Celtic win the Scottish Cup, but defeats for Aberdeen and Hearts were further boosts for Hibs as they chase a guaranteed spot.

Relegation battle tightens

Dundee United and Kilmarnock both failed to drag the teams above them into the basement battle as they lost to St Johnstone and Motherwell respectively. The Steelmen are all but safe while Saints know one more win would likely be all they need. To make matters worse for United and Killie, bottom club Ross County cut the gap with a 2-0 win over Livingston to leave just one point between the bottom three.

Kevin van Veen cements his awards credentials

The Motherwell striker again showed he should be a serious contender for Scotland’s player of the year crown by boosting his season tally to 25 – 21 in the league – after taking a magnificent couple of touches following Liam Kelly’s kick-out before finishing with aplomb to wrap up a 2-0 win over Killie. The Dutchman became the first Motherwell striker since Ian St John to score in seven consecutive top-flight games. It was one of several moments of class; a back-heel set up Blair Spittal for what should have been a goal; and another first touch and turn from a long ball was reminiscent of Zinedine Zidane at his best and left Killie defender Joe Wright to resort to a rugby tackle.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou hailed his title-winning squad for showing the hunger to be even better in their second season together and setting “ridiculous” standards.

The Hoops retained the cinch Premiership title thanks to a 2-0 win over Hearts at Tynecastle.

Second-half goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and Oh Hyeon-gyu kept Celtic on track to set a new top-flight Scottish points record of 107 points if they win their remaining four games.

Postecoglou, whose side have only lost to St Mirren, Real Madrid and RB Leipzig this season, said: “After the success of last year, you wonder, it’s still a young group, is the hunger going to be there, are they going to be as motivated?

“From the first day of pre-season they came back, they wanted to be a better team, they wanted to be a stronger team.

“I just think they have maintained a ridiculous standard this year of performance, results, it’s just been incredible.

“I have rarely had to intervene at any stage to get them back on track. I have had the easiest job in the world in terms of allowing these guys to drive how good they want to be, players and staff. I am just super proud.”

Celtic regained the title against the odds last season after a major squad rebuild and Postecoglou immediately set his players the challenge of improving as they celebrated their success in May last year.

“I don’t know if it feels more special but it makes me immensely proud that the group embraced that, because it would have been very easy after winning it last year and me throwing some words out there that we are going to be stronger and better and bigger and all those kind of things,” he said.

“But I purposely did that to throw out a challenge to the lads that we have got to be a better team.

“I thought we needed to be a better team this year if we were going to defend our title because, particularly knowing we were going to be in the Champions League, you shouldn’t under-estimate the physical and mental toll that playing Champions League takes out of you.

“Through that time our league form was outstanding and that’s because the whole group were prepared to drive through that time that our main goal of being champions again was never going to be derailed.

“I am immensely proud the lads took on that mantra of being better than we were last year, not resting on our laurels, not being comfortable, and again the standard they have set has been unbelievable.”

The 57-year-old admitted he was emotional during the post-match celebrations.

“I am because you put a lot into it,” he said. “I realise I am doing what I live and I am pretty good at it but it doesn’t happen in isolation.

“The people around you, whether it’s my family, my wife and kids, my friends, and the support I have had inside and outside the football club, you want to pay that back as well.

“It’s not just about having success, it’s a little bit of giving back to all those people who are prepared to support me on a daily basis to do what I do.

“Everything you do is hard-earned. All the sacrifices people make and the commitment and support they give me, it makes you emotional to think about.”

Todd Cantwell’s terrific second-half volley was enough to give Rangers a 1-0 cinch Premiership win over Aberdeen at Ibrox.

On the day Celtic retained the league title with a 2-0 win over Hearts at Tynecastle, the former Norwich midfielder gave the home fans something to cheer about in the 65th minute with a fine finish from a James Tavernier corner.

Barry Robson’s rejuvenated Dons beat Rangers 2-0 at Pittodrie two weeks ago in the last game before the split and they had their chances again but it turned out to be a first defeat in eight for the third-placed visitors.

Michael Beale’s side had lost three out of their last four, including a Scottish Cup semi-final loss to Celtic at Hampden Park last Sunday, so will welcome a return to winning ways, albeit via a patchy performance.

The fall-out from the Celtic defeat put pressure on the Gers boss, who has not beaten the Hoops in four attempts since taking over from Giovanni van Bronckhorst in November.

With Malik Tillman, Ryan Kent and Borna Barisic out injured, some of the changes the former QPR boss had promised were enforced.

Ridvan Yilmaz came in at left-back and there was a new front three of Ianis Hagi, Fashion Sakala and Rabbi Matondo.

Veteran goalkeeper Allan McGregor dropped out the squad altogether to be replaced by Robby McCrorie, playing for the first time since a 1-0 win over Celtic in August 2021.

Dons right-back Hayden Coulson took over from Ross McCrorie, twin brother of the Rangers keeper, with the firepower coming in the shape of attackers Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes and Bojan Miovski, who have scored 18 goals apiece for Aberdeen so far this season.

Rangers made a bright start, with Cantwell twice going close from decent drives.

McCrorie showed his worth in the 27th minute when, after Sakala lost possession, Miovski broke clear of the Gers defence and squared to Duk inside the box but the home keeper blocked the angled drive for a corner which came to nothing.

In the 34th minute, Connor Goldson grappled with Duk at the edge of Rangers penalty area but only a corner was given, perhaps fortunately for the Light Blues defender.

Rangers stepped up the pressure and Aberdeen keeper Kelle Roos saved a Hagi header under pressure from Sakala before making a great block from the Zambia international’s close-range drive, then saving a Tavernier shot just before the break.

Amid all that, Duk escaped the Gers defence only to chip the ball over the bar from the edge of the box with only McCrorie to beat.

Rangers, with John Souttar replacing injured centre-back Ben Davies just before the interval, went close at the start of the second half when Aberdeen captain Jonny Hayes inadvertently smashed a Matondo cut-back against his own crossbar.

Sakala had the ball in the net in the 51st minute but was ruled offside before McCrorie tipped a Mattie Pollock header over the bar following a Dons corner.

However, Rangers eventually forged ahead when Cantwell dropped off to the back of the penalty area to volley Tavernier’s deep corner low into the corner of the net, with Hayes on the line but appearing to think the ball was going wide.

Beale immediately brought on Alfredo Morelos, Scott Arfield, Glen Kamara and Scott Wright for Hagi, Sakala, Matondo and Raskin and the final stages were suitably disjointed.

Aberdeen went all out for the leveller and in the 83rd minute McCrorie again blocked a shot from substitute Shayden Morris with his foot as Rangers saw the game out.

Celtic have sealed their 11th title success in 12 years.

Ange Postecoglou’s side topped the table when they beat Aberdeen 2-0 on the opening weekend of the season in July and have never dropped down at any stage.

Here we look back at six key games in the title race.

Ross County 1 Celtic 3 (August 6)

Postecoglou’s side came through a difficult situation in their second game at a ground where Celtic have experienced some troubles in recent years.

Alex Iacovitti cancelled out Kyogo Furuhashi’s opener with County’s first effort on target in the 58th minute but Moritz Jenz headed a debut goal six minutes from time and Liel Abada curled home in stoppage time.

Postecoglou hailed his side’s “outstanding” response to County’s goal and added: “We stuck to our task, played our football, scored another good goal and even then there was no thought of stopping there, we got our third and I’m really pleased with every aspect of our game.”

Celtic 4 Rangers 0 (September 3)

The Bhoys moved five points clear with a convincing victory after sweeping their city rivals aside in the first half thanks to Abada’s double and a Jota goal. David Turnbull accepted a late gift to round off another thumping win six days after Celtic recorded a record 9-0 away win over Dundee United.

Postecoglou said: “The league table isn’t important right now. What’s important is how we play. If we continue to play like that, absolutely, we’re going to be hard to stop.”

St Johnstone 1 Celtic 2 (October 8)

Celtic looked set to drop points for the second successive away match following defeat by St Mirren, when St Johnstone defender Alex Mitchell scored a stoppage-time equaliser to wipe out a first-half own goal. But Giorgos Giakoumakis turned home Alexandro Bernabei’s cross in the fifth minute of time added on.

“You can win a game of football many ways but winning it this way also provides some confidence in the fact that we still have that character and resilience in the group,” Postecoglou said.

Aberdeen 0 Celtic 1 (December 17)

The long mid-season break threatened to disrupt the flow of every in-form team and Celtic faced a challenge in their first game back as then Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin parked the bus at Pittodrie.

Celtic had 33 efforts at goal compared to Aberdeen’s two, both of which were off target, and enjoyed 80 per cent possession, but did not make it count until Callum McGregor netted from 20 yards in the 87th minute in his comeback from a knee injury.

Postecoglou said of his captain: “We did awfully well to cover his absence but it doesn’t take away from the fact he is a fantastic footballer and he makes our team even better.”

Rangers 2 Celtic 2 (January 2)

Celtic took a nine-point lead to Ibrox against a Rangers side who had won their first four matches under Michael Beale. Daizen Maeda gave Celtic an early lead but their dominance was affected by an injury to Greg Taylor and goals from Ryan Kent and James Tavernier turned the game on its head just after the break.

However, Furuhashi netted a poacher’s goal from 12 yards in the 87th minute to protect Celtic’s advantage at the top of the table.

Postecoglou said: “There isn’t anything like a lost cause. You go till the final whistle and nothing changes. For that to be effective, you have to do it on a weekly basis. And we do.”

Celtic 3 Rangers 2 (April 8)

Both teams kept on winning until their next meeting, which was do or die for Rangers. The visitors had an early Alfredo Morelos goal ruled out before a double from Furuhashi and another Jota goal saw Celtic open up a 12-point lead despite Tavernier’s double.

Postecoglou branded his Japanese striker a “winner” and added: “He wants that responsibility to rise to the occasion. He wants to be the person who delivers and he did it again today.”

Kyogo Furuhashi grabbed his 30th goal of the season as Celtic clinched the cinch Premiership title with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Hearts.

Hearts caused Celtic problems until losing Alex Cochrane to a contentious VAR-assisted red card on the stroke of half-time after the defender was adjudged to have denied Daizen Maeda an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

Furuhashi netted from close range with the game’s first shot on target midway through the second half and substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu rounded off the win.

Celtic had gone into the weekend with a 13-point lead over Rangers, who kicked off against Aberdeen 45 minutes after the Tynecastle clash and the Hoops’ win ensured they retain the title with four games to spare.

Ange Postecoglou’s men can now focus on going for a record points total of 107, which they will achieve if they win their remaining matches, and also winning the treble, which they will secure if they beat Inverness in the Scottish Cup final.

They did not have it all their own way at Tynecastle though. Interim Hearts manager Steven Naismith had enjoyed a 6-1 win over Ross County in his first home match in charge and his team selection signified real attacking intent with attackers Barrie McKay, Yutaro Oda, Lawrence Shankland and Josh Ginnelly all retaining their places.

Celtic had Anthony Ralston and Yuki Kobayashi in for the injured Alistair Johnston and Cameron Carter-Vickers and the Japanese centre-back had some uncomfortable early moments as the home side pressed them high up the park.

The hosts enjoyed the territorial advantage in the opening 45 minutes with Kye Rowles coming closest with a volley that shaved the post and a header that landed on the roof of the net.

Hearts were not allowing Celtic to get into any passing rhythm and the visitors’ only moment of note had been a Greg Taylor header over the bar before the game changed in the 45th minute.

Ralston’s lofted pass down the right channel put Hearts on the back foot, Maeda ran across Cochrane and went down as his heels were clipped just outside the box.

Rowles was offering some cover and referee Nick Walsh initially showed the yellow card but he changed it to a red after being called to his monitor by video assistant Willie Collum, although the original decision did not appear to be a clear and obvious error.

Naismith brought on Stephen Kingsley for Oda before Carl Starfelt was denied by the offside flag from the resulting free-kick after knocking home Ralston’s header.

Celtic still found it difficult to break through the 10 men but the key moment fittingly involved three players who have been highly influential in their success this season.

Skipper Callum McGregor’s lofted pass found the run of Reo Hatate in behind the Hearts defence and he squared for Furuhashi to nudge home from close range at the near post.

The Japanese striker injured his shoulder in the process of scoring and was soon replaced by Oh.

The South Korean doubled Celtic’s advantage in the 80th minute with a neat finish following good work from fellow subs Sead Haksabanovic and Aaron Mooy.

Some of the 1,303 Celtic fans unveiled a banner which read ‘F*** the King, crown the champions” and they were soon celebrating their 11th title in 12 seasons.

Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin insisted his side are still in a good position in their battle against the drop, despite his side’s 1-0 defeat to St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.

Saints’ captain Liam Gordon steered home just before half-time after United were unable to clear their lines and the visitors saw Charlie Mulgrew sent off in the second half as they failed to find a leveller.

The defeat ended a run of three successive cinch Premiership victories and Goodwin urged perspective as he praised the attitude of his side.

He said: “If we’d gone down without a fight then I would be very disappointed, but the character is there in the group.

“We are in a decent position if you consider where we were prior to the Hibs game. If I was sitting here still five points adrift, I’d be very concerned. But we’re not.

“We are still level on points with Kilmarnock, albeit Ross County have closed that gap.

“It looks like it will be between the three of us at the bottom and we have great belief in the group.”

St Johnstone manager Steven MacLean, meanwhile, played down the five point gap his side have opened up ahead of the teams below them as he praised the collective effort of his team.

MacLean, who earned a point against Hibs in his first game in interim charge, saw the Saints win at home for the first time since beating Rangers 2-1 in early November.

He said: “It’s massive but it’s only a cushion. I don’t look at other teams. People pointed out last week that teams had won under us but I’m only interested in our club and what we do.

“I think you can see that we’re improving and we’re getting better and if win our games then we’ll be fine.

“We don’t just defend as a back four. We defend from the front and also Liam Gordon has scored the goal so it’s a collective. We don’t work as individuals – we’ve got to be good as a group. I’m delighted for everybody.”

St Johnstone have another home match against Motherwell next week and MacLean – who is relishing his role as interim boss – hopes they can use Saturday’s result to build some momentum and go on a run of wins.

He added: “There’s improvement in this team. I think everybody can see that we’re getting there. We’re working hard in training. You can see slight changes that we’re making and hopefully they’re enjoying it as much as I am but I think we can get better too.

“I want to keep winning. I’m not just about one or two games. I want to go on a run and I want to make this team better like I know they can be.

“I want to concentrate on Motherwell next week. I’ll watch their games and we’ll work in training for Motherwell and try to win the game.”

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell believes Kevin van Veen deserves to be in contention for the Gallagher Premiership player of the year award.

The Dutchman scored his 25th goal of a stellar personal campaign in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Kilmarnock, after Blair Spittal had given Well an early lead.

The Celtic trio of Kyogo Furuhashi, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Reo Hatate are expected to be among the leading contenders when the nominations are announced by PFA Scotland next week but Kettlewell also made the case for Van Veen.

He said: “If I was a player I would vote for him. But I’m not in control of any of that stuff. I think he’s had a brilliant season, not just his goalscoring.

“It’s about how he approaches it every single week. You have to pitch his personal achievements up against most in the division.

“It’s great that at Motherwell we’ve got a striker that everybody is talking about. He had a moment in the first half where he chops inside with a Cruyff turn after the ball came down with snow on it. That was pretty amazing as well.”

Van Veen is likely to move on from Fir Park in the summer but Kettlewell insists the speculation has not affected the Dutchman’s form.

He added: “We all know what he’s capable of but sometimes it’s not just about the player, it’s about the person. I thought he handled himself absolutely brilliantly as well.

“There’s plenty of hype and talk about him and it’s very easy to think the players are like robots and can keep just churning it out. I’m more delighted with the person today than the player.

“I’ve said it before but if Kevin – or other players – aren’t doing it then we’re not speaking about it.

“And we’ve now got a situation where we are talking about it – although I don’t want to talk about it too much. Just in general you want people to speak about your players when they’re doing well.

“Nothing changes from where we are. The players are all in it for the cause and approaching every game the way they should do, whether there’s speculation or not. That’s the demands I put on them.

“They’re not going out there thinking about what might happen in four or five weeks’ time. We’re just focusing on each game.”

Kilmarnock are now just one point off the bottom of the table but have three of their final four matches at Rugby Park.

Manager Derek McInnes hopes that will play in their favour.

He said: “We needed a win away from home because we can’t be totally dependent on our home form. But the stats show how strong we have been at home, and we’ve got to try and utilise that.

“We’re going to have a big support at home next week against Livingston. Livi are safe, and there is more on the game from our point of view clearly, and we need to demonstrate that in our performance.”

Livingston manager David Martindale says some members of his squad should not be surprised if they are dropped for the trip to Kilmarnock following their performances in a 2-0 defeat by Ross County.

The Lions started as the better of the two teams in Dingwall but could not find a breakthrough to make the most of their momentum.

Either side of half-time County did find the net through Alex Iacovitti and Alex Samuel – and in the end it was a comfortable victory for the Staggies.

That comfort level left Martindale unimpressed, and he thought some of his players looked as though they had nothing left to play for this season.

“I don’t think up until the first goal the boys were off it, but giving the cheap goal away saw Ross County grow in confidence,” he said.

“There was more desire and intensity from Ross County than us after the goal, so we need to find our feet very quickly.

“We will be playing against other teams who are fighting against relegation, and we have to match that desire that those players will have. It’s my job to make sure the players find that.

“We have four games left now, and if most of the guys got dropped next week I don’t think they could have much to say about it.

“Our squad depth is a challenge at this point, but it’s up to me and my staff to find a solution and we’re more than capable of doing that.”

Martindale’s opposite number Malky Mackay, on the other hand, was delighted with Ross County’s display.

Coming off the back of a two-week wait for redemption after a 6-1 drubbing bby Hearts, Mackay was heartened by his players closing the gap at the bottom of the cinch Premiership table to a single point.

“We only haven’t been at it twice this season, and Hearts was one of them,” he said.

“In most games it has been close, we have been in and around it. Every team we have played, we have made it tough whether we win or lose – so I was really disappointed with that performance.

“It was really important that in the first of the two-week break, we got them back in and put a shoulder around them. They were battered and bruised, in terms of their reputation and they were disappointed.

“Against Livingston, we again made it difficult for a team. I’ve got a group here that will fight to the last to make sure we stay in this division.”

Liam Gordon is adamant St Johnstone will not panic after being dragged back into a relegation battle.

The Perth men looked comfortable just a couple of months ago as they chased a place in the top six while other teams near the bottom struggled for form.

But after failing to win any of their last seven games, they go into the post-split fixtures having allowed 10th-placed Dundee United and 11th-placed Kilmarnock to close to within two points of them, while they are just six points clear of last-placed Ross County.

Captain Gordon – whose side needed a relegation play-off to survive last term – is adamant he and his colleagues will not allow the renewed threat to their cinch Premiership status to spook them.

“It’s not rocked us at all,” he said ahead of Saturday’s showdown with United at McDiarmid Park. “It’s obviously a position we didn’t want to find ourselves in because of the position we were in (recently) but these things happen in football.

“We had a couple of poor weeks and we find ourselves in this situation and it’s up to ourselves to get out of it but I wouldn’t say we’re rocked at all.

“We know the task at hand, we’re all prepared and we’re ready to do it. The pressure is always high at any stage of the season but obviously it is coming to crunch time.

“We’ve got five cup finals left, and it’s not just us who will be looking at it like that. But if we apply ourselves the way we know we can and keep to the level of performance we put in against Hibs (in the recent 1-1 draw), we should be good.”

Gordon has been impressed by the manner in which his former team-mate Steven MacLean has handled himself since stepping up to become interim manager following the sacking of Callum Davidson last month.

“He’s been really good,” said the defender. “He’s obviously been in a coaching role for a while so he’s got that experience under his belt but he’s always been very knowledgeable, you could see that from the way he played the game himself.

“He had a great understanding of the game, he was a very clever player. He’s obviously his own man and he’s putting his own ideas across, and the players are really buying into it and enjoying it.

“We’ve had a couple of good training weeks and the Hibs game was a good performance, so it’s been all positive. The boys are upbeat and we’re ready for the fight.”

Tony Watt’s stint at St Mirren could be over after picking up an ankle injury in training.

The 29-year-old striker has made 11 appearances and scored once for the Buddies since joining on loan from cinch Premiership rivals Dundee United in January.

Ahead of the trip to Easter Road to play Hibernian on Saturday, St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson revealed Watt is to have a scan and admitted his concern about the Scotland cap for the five post-split fixtures.

The Northern Irishman said: “We had an injury to Tony Watt in training yesterday so he is not going to be available for Saturday.

“He went over on it. It was innocuous, just two players came together and he went over the wrong way but we are quite concerned about it at the moment

“He is having scans on his ankle today.

“Obviously we spoke to Dundee United, who own Tony, and we will have the results today and see where we go with it, but we are quite worried about it at the moment.”

Asked whether it was likely Watt could miss the rest of the campaign, Robinson said: “Potentially, yes. Obviously it’s hard to say without the scans but, on the initial look at it, the medical team weren’t too happy with it.

“It reduces our options in the forward areas, with Jonah (Ayunga) already injured, but we have people who have stepped in and done really well before. Alex Greive, young Lewis Jamieson and Greg Kiltie can play in those areas of the pitch as well.

“It is something we are dealing with and we won’t use it as an excuse.”

Livingston defender Tom Parkes is desperate to get back on the pitch after finally recovering from a horror knee problem that has kept him sidelined for 17 months.

The 31-year-old Englishman has not played since December 2021 after damaging his anterior cruciate ligament and then suffering a setback just as he was closing in on a return to action last summer.

Parkes was on the bench for the Lions’ last outing against Dundee United a fortnight ago, but manager David Martindale has said he is wary of throwing him into action after so long out without a pre-season under his belt.

The centre-back is delighted to be back in the mix and is eager to get himself some game time after managing just 11 appearances for the Lions since joining from Exeter almost two years ago.

“It’s been a long time but I’ve worked hard to get where I am now and I’m feeling good,” he said. “Just being on the bench against Dundee United was amazing but my main priority is to get up to the standards that other boys are at and try and take it into next season.

“I don’t think people have seen enough of me to see what kind of player I can be, so being back among the lads and training with them every day is a big step. Hopefully it stays this way and I can try and get back on the pitch and show people what I can do.”

After fighting back to fitness last summer and taking part in pre-season training, Parkes was gutted when he suffered a setback and had to undergo a second knee operation that wrecked his hopes of getting back on track in the current campaign.

“It was tough, especially after the second operation,” he said of his lengthy lay-off. “I had to spend nearly 12 weeks sat at home. I couldn’t walk, I was on crutches, and I didn’t really want to do anything.

“But once that was out the way and I was able to come in and be around the lads and all the staff, it helped me massively.

“The main thing when I came back is that I was ready to come back and enjoy it. It’s been a long time but I’m just looking forward to getting game time.”

Parkes is set to be on the bench again when Livi return to action for their first post-split fixture away to bottom-of-the-table Ross County on Saturday after missing out on the top six.

“It was disappointing to miss out on the top six but our aim now is to finish seventh, like we did last season,” he said. “After Christmas we’ve not played as well as we did before, so that’s probably where it’s gone wrong.

“We’ve still done better on points this season than we did last season so it’s hard to take that we didn’t make the top six. As disappointing as it is, we’ve got to make sure we finish the season on a high.”

New director of football Brian McDermott is relishing the chance to unearth quality players for Hibernian after being appointed to a role that will revolve heavily around recruitment.

The 62-year-old is best known for a managerial career that incorporated two spells at Reading either side of a stint at Leeds, but he was chief scout at the Madejski Stadium for nine years prior to becoming a boss and has worked predominantly in scouting roles since being sacked by the Royals in 2016.

McDermott feels player recruitment is his speciality and believes that will stand him in good stead for a role he learned a lot about while working under the “fantastic” Nick Hammond at Reading.

“I relish that, I love finding players,” he said. “I was head scout at Reading for nine years and I wasn’t looking to become the manager because I loved finding players.

“We found so many really good players, that’s my thing. I did the same at Arsenal (between 2016 and 2020) and really relished that.

“I became the Reading manager by default and did OK and then I ended up at Leeds and whatever, but I think finding players is my thing.

“I get a buzz out of recruitment. I’ve recruited well as a manager and I’ve recruited not so well, and when you don’t recruit well you don’t do so well. It is so important.”

McDermott insists he had not planned on becoming a director of football but he feels the Hibs role – which will require him to work closely with manager Lee Johnson and also revolves around scouting, analysis, sports science and the academy – suited him at this stage in his life.

“I never really make conscious decisions,” said McDermott, who did some scouting for cinch Premiership side Celtic after leaving Arsenal. “This opportunity came along and I thought ‘yeah, that’s something I really want to do’.

“Job titles to me are not important. I like to be involved with people and doing the best I can with people. It’s not about the job title or me or whatever, it’s always about the football club.

“I kind of did this job between 2000 and 2009 but without having the title of director of football. Nick Hammond was the director of football but I involved myself in every part of the football club because I wanted to. I was doing mad hours but I loved it.

“Nick was a fantastic director of football to work under so I know how the role works and it’s something I’m really looking forward to.”

Stephen Robinson highlighted the virtues of Ryan Flynn after the midfielder triggered an extension clause in his contract which sees him remain at St Mirren next season.

The 34-year-old is the Paisley side’s longest-serving first-team player having joined the club in January 2018 when the Buddies were on their way to winning promotion to the cinch Premiership.

Flynn has made 139 appearances for St Mirren – 23 this season – and has taken his first steps into coaching after undertaking his UEFA B Licence.

He joins the likes of Greg Kiltie, Marcus Fraser, Mark O’Hara, Trevor Carson and Richard Taylor in extending their contracts in recent months and St Mirren manager Robinson is delighted.

He told the club’s official website: “Ryan brings vast experience and quality to the club.

“He’s shown he can still go into the team and do well in numerous positions.

“As a squad player, he’s fantastic, and as an experienced professional, he’s exactly what we need at the football club.

“He’ll get involved in a little bit of the coaching in the first team as well and I want him to be a part of what we are doing.

“It’s vital to have experienced players. They dictate the tempo of training, the gym work and the attitude around the place.

“The older boys in the squad are the ones who do a bit for me in terms of helping manage the players and it’s important he stayed given his quality and what he offers on the pitch as well.”