Jim Hamilton has warned Hearts

Hamilton believes his former club must beat Rangers and Celtic in Glasgow before they will be taken seriously as title contenders, and he is confident Motherwell can end their 100% start to the season this weekend.

The 29-year-old knows from past experience how expectations can soar at Hearts having been in a similar lofty position at Tynecastle during the 1998/99 season.

Hearts then made a flying start which heralded talk of the title, only for them to fall away and finish sixth.

George Burley's side have a 100% record after four matches, but Hamilton does not hold out great hope for them in the away games at Rangers and Celtic.

He said: "They are four SPL games into it and their own folk are already forecasting that they'll win the league.

"It's a long season and I was in the same kind of position when I was at Hearts with folk getting carried away.

"You've got to perform when you come up against the Old Firm in Glasgow. They are the games you need to win.

"It's alright beating everybody else but you have to beat Celtic and Rangers and its the Old Firm who have proved for many years that they will be there at the end of the season.

"They need to get results away from their own patch. We started well (in 1998) but fell away."

Hamilton also warned Hearts that Motherwell will be a threat to their unbeaten start this weekend.

Motherwell have conceded 14 goals in their opening five games but have scored 12 to suggest they could be a threat.

"They are there to be shot at and we'll go there on Saturday to do that," added Hamilton.

"If they think we'll be pushovers they are in for a surprise.

"Maybe we are conceding goals but we are scoring a lot of goals as well.

"We have scored 10 in four league games so we are doing something right. We just need to defend more as a team."

Hamilton has been impressed with Hearts' foreign players but he believes they will have to be at their best at Tynecastle to unsettle Motherwell.

"They have started great and give them credit," said Hamilton.

"Everybody says foreign players don't do well in Scotland but they have defied others.

"But they are there to be beaten and we'll go there in a positive manner to get the three points.

"We know it's going to be difficult going there. We have to concentrate on not conceding goals.

"Hopefully it will be us that ends that run. They are a hard team to beat at home.

"But we did well against them last season and hopefully we will continue that run against them."

Taken from sportinglife.com