Stephen Kingsley insists even Hearts’ 7-1 humiliation at Celtic Park cannot compare with the pain of losing last season’s title at the same ground.

Sunday brought another miserable afternoon in Glasgow for the Tynecastle side, with some travelling supporters heading for the exits before half-time.

Celtic were already 5-1 ahead by the interval, ruthlessly exposing a Hearts team that arrived hoping to underline their title ambitions.

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Instead, the champions handed them another painful Parkhead memory.

Back in May, Hearts needed only a draw to secure the league. Late goals from Daizen Maeda and Callum Osmand turned their dream into Celtic’s title celebrations.

Asked how Sunday’s defeat compared with that final-day heartbreak, Kingsley told The Scottish Sun: “Nothing will ever be worse than that.

“Right now, this one is still very raw. There’s embarrassment in the way we lost the goals. The mistakes we made is the biggest frustration – I’m trying to think of a goal Celtic scored that we didn’t have a hand in.”

Celtic certainly made the most of the opportunities from Hearts, but they had to show quality at the top end of the pitch to get on the scoresheet seven times; that doesn’t come from luck.

Osmand scored twice on his first professional start, while Benjamin Nygren also netted a double in an outstanding attacking display.

Kieran Tierney and Camilo Duran were on target too, with Jamie McCart’s own goal completing the scoring for the Hoops.

Hearts can point to their mistakes, but Celtic deserve credit for the speed and conviction with which they punished them.

May remains the greater hurt for the Hearts team, but Sunday was another emphatic reminder of how unforgiving a visit to Celtic Park can be. No team that wants to win the league can turn up at Celtic Park and get embarrassed 7-1.