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Kevin Gallacher reckons conspiracy claims from former teammate Ally McCoist about the post-split fixture card will only fire up Celtic.

But he reckons that comments from his ex Scotland strike partner – who declared Celtic were running Scottish football – could backfire on the Light Blues, having been in a similar spot during his time at Blackburn Rovers.

The Premiership is set for an epic conclusion with Hearts, Rangers and Celtic battling it out – with the league set to split for the final run-in after Danny Rohl takes his side to Falkrik.

The SPFL revealed the final title run-in on Tuesday, with both Rangers and Hearts travelling to Glasgow’s east end to face the champions.

Gallacher reckons that comments – like from his old pal McCoist – are more likely to spark a defiant reaction from dressing rooms, despite players liking a wild theory “as much as the next person.”

Writing for the Sunday Post, the Premier League winning striker said: “You know there is still plenty of juice left in your season when the SPFL’s publication of the post-split fixture list causes such a furore.

“We had Rangers fans – and their former manager Ally McCoist claiming Celtic were running the game because they have three home games out of the five, including the visit of rivals Hearts on the last weekend.

“Then there were Hearts supporters up in arms because the tradition of handing the top side going into the split home advantage (so they can potentially enjoy a flag day in front of their fans) had been ignored this time round.

“Some Rangers followers were also unhappy about that choice of final-day fixture for fear that, if Celtic were out of the title running by then, they would roll over to Hearts to prevent their Old Firm rivals becoming champions.

“The last one struck a real chord with me because it reminds me so much of all the chat we heard at Blackburn Rovers when we were battling with Manchester United for the title in 1994-95.

“We led the league for most of the season but United stayed with us and, going into the last game, we needed to avoid a three-point swing to be champions.

“The fixture list sent us to Liverpool for that one and everyone and his dog was telling us that because their hero Kenny Dalglish was our manager there was no way they would trip us up.

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“And, of course, they beat us at Anfield 2-1. The good news was that West Ham held Manchester United 1-1, so we won the league!

“That is a perfect example of what you should expect in these situations.

“Players might enjoy a good footballing conspiracy theory as much as the next person, but when they are on the park there is professional pride at stake.

“In fact, the more comments there are about the likelihood of them letting another side beat them on purpose, the more likely they are to go out determined to make a nonsense of the claims through.”