Rising Stars, Investment, and Title Races: The Scottish Premier League

The Scottish Premier League has seen plenty of drama, talent, and investment in the first third of the 24/25 season. With no scheduled break for the Premiership, there is little time for catch-up, so here are a few things to watch out for as we enter the second third of the season. 

The biggest story from the Premiership isn’t about players or teams at the moment. Despite fans of the English Premier League being quick to tweet about the Premiership being one “their granny could play in” — and if she plays midfield anything like rising star Lennon Miller, maybe she should — EPL investors are trying their luck in Scotland. So far, two EPL chairmen have lined up multi-million-pound investments into Hearts and Hibs, and it's rumoured a third is interested. This will give those at the top of the table something to think about in the long term. But for the Edinburgh duo Hearts and Hibs, this season hasn’t been an easy one, as they currently occupy the two bottom spots. Keep an eye out for this investment giving them a boost that could perhaps improve their performance over the next few matches. 

The Premiership has no shortage of talent. Fellow Scotland fans will be happy to know that Lennon Miller has been a breakthrough talent at Motherwell. At just eighteen years old, Miller has even captained his team at Hampden Park against Rangers. It has been reported that Celtic, Rangers, and Liverpool are engaged in a bidding war for the teenager. Miller is one to watch, and as pressure mounts on Steve Clarke to give him an international squad spot, things can only go up from here. Celtic also have a star on their hands with German 24-year-old Nicholas Kuhn, who scored twice in a stunning display against RB Leipzig in the Champions League. The player is a fan favourite at Celtic and is tipped to be getting a spot on the German national team. Other players have of course been making their mark as well, but if you’re going to follow any two names, make it Miller and Kuhn. 

The league table hasn’t shaped up in the way most of us expected. A shock turnaround at Aberdeen has seen the side go from finishing seventh last season to being separated only by goal difference to front-runners Celtic. They have proved they’re the real deal all season, beating Rangers 2-1 and drawing to Celtic. The race between underdogs Aberdeen and Celtic going for a fourth league title in a row is an exciting watch. Rangers have not been so lucky, despite impressive performances in Europe; in the league, they’ve lacked consistency and fans will struggle with the reality that they’re trailing behind both Aberdeen and Celtic. It's worth watching out for how the Ibrox side approach the remainder of the season. 

The Scottish Premier League has seen more people attend matches than any other country in Europe (as a proportion of the population) — almost double that of second-place Portugal. This season shows exactly why that is: with growing investment, rising stars, and a dramatic title race, what more could you ask for?

Image from Wikimedia Commons