Hearts shareholder Tony Bloom has made a bold claim that should make those at Celtic Park sit up and take notice.

Speaking at a Q&A event for Foundation of Hearts pledgers, Bloom, best known as the driving force behind Brighton’s rise to the Premier League and Union Saint-Gilloise’s resurgence in Belgium, believes Scottish football’s era of two-horse dominance is coming to an end.

Bloom is not the type to throw out empty statements. His track record in football is built on smart recruitment, a strong data-led approach, and a knack for helping clubs punch well above their weight.

Hearts fans have every reason to be excited about his involvement, and for Celtic, his words carry the weight of someone who has repeatedly delivered on ambitious football projects.

For Celtic supporters, this may read like yet another confident statement from an ambitious club, something they have heard plenty of before. But Bloom’s history shows he tends to back up his words with action. If Hearts are given the right backing and infrastructure, they could become a far more serious challenger than the Premiership has seen outside Glasgow in decades.

The warning for Celtic is clear: Bloom does not see his role as simply strengthening Hearts’ domestic position. His ambitions extend to helping Scottish clubs improve their European standing, something which could in turn make league competition tighter and qualification paths easier for all involved.

He said: “It’s really important for Scottish football for it not to be a one or two club show.

“And it’s not going to be from now on., I assure everyone of that.

“It’s not good at all that historically, Scottish clubs haven’t been doing well in Europe, so it lowers the Scottish coefficient. That means even if you win the league like Celtic, they’ve got to win two knock-out games to actually get into the group games of the Champions League.

“I’m very confident that coefficient over the next few years will change, which would be really good for Scottish football. I really hope it will be really good news for Hearts.

“I’m really excited about the challenge and the days of it being a two runner race have gone.

“It means that the fans and the media are not talking about it being a two-runner race. As I said, that will not be the case from now on.

“Every game that Heart of Midlothian plays in, we will play to win. Every tournament that Hearts are in, we think we can win it and we’re aiming to win it.

“I accept the fact that when we get in the Champions League, that may be a little bit difficult!

“But we have to have belief. We have to have belief in who we are, what we are, our head coach and our players and everyone at the football club.

“I certainly do, and I think that the squad of players that Graeme (Jones, sporting director) has helped put together under Derek McInnes, will continue to get stronger year on year, on year.

“It sounds like a success to me if Rangers and Celtic are knocking on Graeme’s door wanting to buy our players.

“But they might not be able to buy our player as they may have bigger clubs to go to.

“I don’t like to make predictions on one game or one season as there are so many variables.

“But what I would say is that Hearts have got an exceptionally good squad this season and I think there’s every chance that we will have success this season.

“Not being in Europe this season gives Hearts an excellent chance in the league and perhaps in the cups as well.

“Hearts fans have every right to have big expectations and historically I don’t think those expectations have been big enough.

“I know it’s difficult and that the Old Firm have a huge advantage in terms of turnover, commercial deals and fan base, but that’s all changing because we are going to have a squad to compete with the very best teams in Scotland.”

Bloom’s comments cut to the heart of an ongoing challenge for Celtic and the league as a whole. The coefficient issue has long been a frustration for the champions, with extra qualifying rounds creating an uphill battle before the Champions League proper even begins.

Bloom sees improvement in this area as not only possible but inevitable, and Hearts as a key part of that rise.

If Bloom’s investment and influence in Gorgie mirror what he has achieved in England and Belgium, the balance of power in Scottish football could begin to shift. His recruitment track record alone suggests Hearts will not simply settle for being competitive, they will aim to disrupt the established order.

Celtic have faced threats before from would-be challengers who talked a good game but ultimately fell short. The difference here is that Bloom’s track record is built on continued success at the highest levels, not just ambition.

Whether Hearts can realistically mount a sustained challenge to Celtic over a league season remains to be seen, but with Bloom’s involvement, it is not a question to be dismissed lightly.