Hearts fans have been told to put some trust in their investor amid the transfer window.

Former Chelsea and Scotland winger Pat Nevin thinks it’s ‘a real shame’ for Hearts supporters that captain Lawrence Shankland has moved to Rangers - but wouldn’t be surprised if investor Tony Bloom helps find a more than capable replacement.

The Scotland international has now completed his move across the M8 in what is a hammer blow to Jambos fans, who’ve watched him find the target on 88 occasions, across his 171 Hearts appearances. The club are now tasked with finding someone who can replace their former talisman’s goals going into next season.

Despite the move, Nevin believes it isn’t panic stations just yet for Hearts fans, due to the fact they’ve got Bloom upstairs. The major minority shareholder is used to having his key players taken away from him at his other clubs Brighton and Union Saint-Gilloise, however he still manages to progress them year upon year through recruitment software Jamestown Analytics. For this reason, Nevin wouldn’t be surprised if Hearts are able to find someone as good - if not better - than Shankland.

Hearts can replace Shankland with Bloom ‘at the helm’ - Nevin

He told Grosvenor Casinos: “Shankland moving to his boyhood club does not make it any easier for Hearts fans to take, but they have to look at what Tony Bloom has done at Brighton and what the regime at the club can do because they’ve done an incredible job of bringing players in.

“They’ve already created a great squad at Tynecastle. That they were ahead in the league until the eighty-seventh minute of the last game tells you everything you need to know. You never know. With Tony Bloom at the helm, Hearts might just get someone in who’s as good as Shankland. Maybe someone even better.”

Bloom has helped his boyhood club Brighton and Hove Albion move from EFL League One to the top flight with his financial backing. In recent seasons, the Seagulls have lost superstars such as Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Joao Pedro and Alexis Mac Allister, however they’ve reinvested wisely. This helped them earn a spot in the Premier League’s European places last season for only the second time in their history.

Shankland departure ‘a shame’ but not ‘a surprise’

Nevin added: “It’s a real shame for Hearts but that’s always the way it’s been. If Hearts and Hibs particularly have a major player, but also other teams in Scotland, Celtic and Rangers are right on the doorstep. It’s no surprise that they’ve come in and tried to get him, and he’ll certainly make Rangers a better side.

“They were pretty close this season but fell away just at the death. You add the fact that he’s from Glasgow, and was a Rangers supporter growing up, that to finalise his career at Ibrox where he would hope and expect to collect some silverware isn’t a surprise either.”

With the help of Jamestown , Hearts unearthed hidden gems such as Claudio Braga and Alexandros Kyziridis last season. Now that they’ve lost their experienced marksman, the database is now being relied upon again, as fans hope Bloom’s glowing track record of reinvesting in talent extends to Gorgie.

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