I loved my time at Ibrox & Tynie but my Heart wants Jambos to win the title

Black hopes 1986 heartache will finally be erased

- BY FRASER WILSON

HE broke through as a professional at one, came within eight minutes of winning the title at another - and had his heart broken by the third.

So it’s no surprise which order Kenny Black chooses when asked which club he'd like to see cross the line first in this season's exhilarating three-horse Premiership title race.

For the avoidance of doubt, it’s Hearts, Rangers then Celtic.

The former Tynecastle and Ibrox midfielder, currently loans manager at Sheffield United, will be glued to his television this afternoon as two of his old sides lock horns in the latest chapter of this dramatic story.

Indeed he has been watching every twist and turn north of the border from his home in the Steel City.

Black just hopes it’s the Jambos who have the mettle to finish off what they've started.

Not only because he spent five years in Gorgie in the 1980s. It's more to do with the fact that, 40 years on, he still feels the agony of losing the title to Celtic in those last eight minutes in May 1986.

Having gone 27 games unbeaten, Hearts only needed to avoid defeat in Dundee to clinch the title while Celtic had to beat St Mirren heavily and hope for a favour on Tayside.

What happened has been written about more often than Black cares to remember.

Two Albert Kidd goals in the 83rd and 89th minutes condemned the Jambos to a 2-0 loss while the Hoops were running riot 5-0 in Paisley.

Four decades on Black still winces at the memory.

He expects the current tussle to go right down to the wire too.

Only this time he hopes for a different outcome. And while he reckons the dream is on for Derek McInnes and his players after Tuesday's dramatic derby win over Hibs, the 62-year-old knows only too well that having it in your own hands counts for nothing at this stage.

Black told MailSport: “I would love to see Hearts do it, I've got to be honest with you.