Top three should be Hearts' focus - McGowan

Hearts' focus should be staying clear of the rest by remaining in the Scottish Premiership's top three, former Tynecastle defender Ryan McGowan says.

The Edinburgh side came within 90 minutes of winning the league last season but lost at Celtic Park on the final day of the campaign and ultimately finished as runners-up behind Celtic.

Hearts were, however, eight points clear of Rangers, who had been runners-up in the previous four campaigns.

"I've always thought that Hearts should be more focused on getting away from sort of fourth and fifth and sixth place for a number of years," Livingston's McGowan told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"To then establish, get the money in the bank, get the sort of perks that come with getting into those European leagues and be able to establish themselves in there.

"All the way getting a little bit closer to the two teams in Glasgow but extending that gap away from everybody else. That's really important for Hearts fans to kind of focus on this season."

Finishing second was Hearts' highest placing in 20 years and they enter the Champions League at the second qualifying round later this month, playing Austria's Sturm Graz over two legs.

"They were so close to winning the league last year and they'll be bitterly disappointed," McGowan added.

"If you can get further away from the teams that are kind of in and around you, that will extend a bigger gap.

"You'll be able to obviously pickpocket them and be able to bring in new players, all the while getting that little bit closer to Celtic and Rangers and going that one step, like what [investor] Tony Bloom said, winning the league in the next 10 years.

"Hearts are definitely on the right track."