Hearts and Hibs atmospheres better than English teams claims ex-Rangers star as he defends 'pub league' accusations

Josh Windass praised the SPFL and said plenty of English players would like to move north

Ex-Rangers midfielder Josh Windass has defended Scottish football and reckons the atmosphere at Tynecastle and Easter Road is better than in England.

The 26-year-old is currently on loan at Sheffield Wednesday from Wigan Athletic.

Since returning to England from Rangers in August 2018, Windass has sought to talk up the SPFL to English team-mates who look down on the game north of the border.

Josh Windass was full or praise for Tynecastle and Easter Road. Picture: SNS

He has faced accusations of Scottish football being ‘pub league’ football but used Hearts and Hibs as examples of aspects of the game he misses.

Windass, who made the move to Ibrox from Accrington Stanley in 2016, also reckons there are a number of players who would jump at the chance to make the move to the Ladbrokes Premiership.

“The atmosphere is way better in Scotland, especially the Old Firm and even Hibs and Hearts away,” he told Open Goal. “Better atmosphere than down in England, 100 per cent.

“I’ve had so many arguments with boys in English teams about Scotland and the standard. The English boys have no idea. They just think it’s a pub league.”

He added: “They all say it’s c**p. ‘You only scored in Scotland. Scotland this, Scotland that’. But if they had a chance to go they would 100 per cent go. All of them.”

During his time in Scotland, Windass was involved in two memorable games in Edinburgh. He came off the bench in a 4-1 defeat to Hearts when Ian Cathro was manager, while he netted in the famous 5-5 draw with Hibs at Easter Road on the final day of the 2017/2018 campaign.