'I'm convinced': 32-goal ex-Rangers hero hails 'modern' Scottish influence on Serie A and makes Hearts title prediction

A number of Scottish players have made the move to Italy over the last five years, namely Lewis Ferguson, Billy Gilmour, Josh Doig, Che Adams, and, most recently, Lennon Miller, while McTominay was awarded the league’s MVP award last year after firing Napoli to the scudetto.

Former Ibrox favourite Negri, who scored 32 goals for the club after signing for £3.5million from Perugia in the summer of 1997, before injury curtailed his progress, believes Italian clubs are beginning to focus their attention more on Scottish players, with their ‘modern’ style of fitting in seamlessly with the brand of football seen in Serie A.

“It's great to see so many Scots in Italy,” Negri told LiveScore. “For a midfielder, it is perfect because, having characteristics typical of British leagues, such as aggressiveness, drive, and intensity, and being proactive in both attack and defence, they then make a further upgrade in our league by learning tactical knowledge.

"And the same goes for the wingers. They come across as modern players with a lot of goals. This shows that Scottish football is growing and has talent that can make a good impression in Italy as well. In the future, I am convinced that more and more players will go fishing in those leagues there.

"It is a beautiful championship for the fans because no team has taken the lead, it is very close, and there is a lot of balance. Some teams have not yet found their final set-up, others have already changed coaches, like Juventus. I expect a seesaw of results until January/February, then we'll see who will be the best coach to transmit their mentality and help the team find unity of purpose.”

Negri, who missed out on a title with Rangers in his debut season after making the move in the opposite direction, believes his former club must not give up on their title aspiration this early into the campaign, despite sitting in third place and trailing leaders Hearts by 14 points.

“There was a really difficult situation,” said Negri. “All the fans were hoping for a return of Steven Gerrard, but he declined, and it was not easy to find a coach to manage such a complicated moment, as Rangers are so far behind in the league that it had not been seen for years. Let's give this coach time, as it often happens when a new coach takes over, there comes an emotional and nervous shock.

"Celtic and Rangers will play it out as always. But Hearts can still be a nuisance throughout the season. In my opinion, no [Hearts won’t win the league], but you have to give them kudos for the start. I think that sooner or later they will face a period of decline and, losing a few points, perhaps in direct clashes, the values will flatten out.

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