'Tagawa volley a fitting end to remarkable season'

When Kyosuke Tagawa thundered home a volley with the final kick of the season against Rangers, the roof almost came off Tynecastle such was the euphoria inside the ground.

Many Hearts fans went into the season with some trepidation. There was a rookie manager in charge and a squad that was not to everyone’s pleasing, but it ended with a sense of glee.

And yet there were early doubts.

Defeat in both legs to PAOK quickly ended Hearts' run in Europe and the knives were out for Steven Naismith after Premiership losses to Dundee, St Mirren and Motherwell.

But the manager never panicked. And more importantly neither did the players. That calmness was shown on the pitch by the amount of times Hearts fought back in games.

The run of 12 unbeaten matches from early December through to the end of February then ensured this was a campaign to savour.

With 26 wins from 49 matches the season has to be regarded as a success story.

In comparison, there were just 19 wins from 50 games in the 2022-23 campaign, so there has clearly been vast improvement.

Much of that is down to Lawrence Shankland, who scored 31 goals in another remarkable season.

While it would be terrific for the fans to see the Scotland striker sign a new contract, there has to also be a sense of realism. If the money is right for the club and the move is the correct one for Shankland, he will probably be on his way.

With the distinct possibility of a money-spinning Europa League group-stage campaign ahead, there will be plenty of players interested in joining Hearts for what could be another breathtaking campaign.

Until then the fans can look back on what was incredible season of football at Tynecastle.