The First Minister has been talking Hearts in the build-up to May’s Scottish Parliament elections.

John Swinney has revealed how he became a supporter of Hearts - as the First Minister weighed in on the ongoing title race.

Derek McInnes’ side travel to Hibs this weekend top of the Premiership by a point ahead of five defining matches in the post split shake-up against top six opposition. They are looking to create a seismic shock by taking the top flight title out of Rangers and Celtic clutches, with Swinney talking football ahead of May’s Scottish Parliament elections, in an interview on LBC with radio and TV personality Grado. Football isn’t first on his agenda but the SNP leader does have a close eye on a couple of Scottish sides.

Running and reading were marked as the First Minister’s two go-to past times but the interviewer wasn’t having it. He asked if he was into football and Swinney does ‘like a bit’ of it. That prompted the question of team affiliation, and while there is affinity for St Johnstone through his son, he was a Jambo growing up.

Why does John Swinney support Hearts?

Swinney said: “There’s no kidding on, and I don’t think you’re going to like this. Well you see, I am a Hearts supporter. I thought that would have been something, given the absolutely outstanding success that Hearts is currently enjoying, and the likelihood for the first time in 66 years that we’re going to the win the championship, that you might have been a bit irked by that. “But you’ve taken it really well! You’ve got a real generosity of spirit about you.”

Grado, a Rangers fan, responded with ‘all I’m going to say is this season has been totally wild has it not?’ It was something Swinney agreed with as he replied ‘Oh, totally wild!’

It was then asked if the SNP leader had ‘jumped on the bandwagon here’ as Hearts strive for a first league title since 1960. No team outside of Rangers or Celtic have won the top flight since Aberdeen in 1985.

Who does John Swinney think will win the Premiership title?

Speaking on how his Hearts support came to be, which hasn’t been widely publicised, Swinney explained: “I grew up a Hearts supporter, I was born in the west end but grew up a Hearts supporter. I can remember my dad always used to say to me ‘if they win the cup, I’ll take you up to St John’s Road to see the cup coming back into the city‘. Never went, because it never came back at the right time.

“But also, just to be completely open about it all, I also have a bit of interest in St Johnstone as well because I’m a Perthshire lad. And my son supports St Johnstone.”

There was no shying away from who he thought would win the league either. When the FM was asked who would come out on top in the thrilling race, he stuck to his Gorgie roots, simply saying ‘Hearts.’

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