Credit: Imago

Harri Burton

Mon 18 May 2026 10:45, UK

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Lawrence Shankland has Don Robertson to thank for staying on the field during Celtic‘s final-day win over Hearts.

That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that the referee’s management of the game at Celtic Park was “top drawer” on Saturday, 16 May.

Hearts’ No.9, who had opened the scoring in the all-important Scottish Premiership clash, had already picked up a yellow card for an altercation with Marcelo Saracchi before turning his attention to Daizen Maeda.

In the fifth minute of added time, Shankland fouled the Japanese international before appearing to briefly grab him around the throat. Emotions were bubbling over before Callum Osmand added a third goal.

Lawrence Shankland avoids further salt in the wounds vs Celtic

While Robertson could have easily dished out another yellow card for the Jambos’ captain, he showed leniency, something that Hackett clearly admires about the Scottish Premiership official.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the altercation, the former referee said: “When you’re officiating a game of this importance, as a referee, you want to keep 11 players on the field. 

“You set the bar higher. You want to be consistent, but you also want to keep the players on the pitch. It was a massive atmosphere and a massive game.

“Don Robertson handled the game really well. You can go to law and say, ‘Yes, that’s a yellow card [and then a red]’, but the reality is that he’s tried to keep the focus on the play. 

“His control and management of the game was top-drawer. He didn’t overreact, and he brought calmness to the situation. 

“Referees are going to jump up and down at me, but at the elite level, you want a second yellow to be more orange. I want that second yellow not to be in any doubt.

“In the context of the law, it could have easily been a second yellow, but I applaud that he didn’t give it.”

Don Robertson didn’t have the perfect game at Celtic Park

The result, of course, did mean that Hearts fell short in the Scottish Premiership title race on the final day, missing out on the trophy by just two points following the Hoops’ revival under Martin O’Neill.

Hackett was pleased with Robertson’s overall performance at Celtic Park, but that isn’t to say that the referee was without his mistakes during the incredibly hard-fought game.

Callum McGregor was fortunate not to be booked himself, that was until he eventually went into the referee’s notebook for a high challenge on Cameron Devlin in the closing stages.

Very early in the game, Alistair Johnston also avoided a booking, leaving a rogue arm on Jordi Altena, before also being cautioned just a few moments later.

Robertson was clearly keen to let the game flow, but had he been harsher with his decisions, Hearts might now be the owners of a Scottish Premiership title.