Cowie on Hibs draw, competitive league and 'great' Robinson

Mixu Paatelainen insists Dundee United will only sell Lawrence Shankland if a club meets their valuation of the striker.

The Scotland forward has been linked with a move to Rangers and Club Brugge after scoring 28 goals in all competitions this season.

United are determined to keep hold of their star asset, but Paatelainen admits the club will listen to offers if they are willing to pay a significant fee.

He said: "Lawrence is a very important player for us and we want to keep him. But if a club comes in with an offer that meets our valuation, then we will consider it.

Shankland has a contract with United until 2023 and the club are in no rush to sell him.

They are also confident that they can persuade him to sign a new deal.

Paatelainen added: "We are in a strong position. Lawrence is happy here and we are happy to have him.

"We are not under any pressure to sell him and we will only do so if it is in the best interests of the club."

United are currently fourth in the Scottish Premiership, 10 points behind leaders Celtic.

They have won their last three games and Paatelainen believes they are capable of challenging for a European place.

He said: "We are in a good position and we are confident that we can continue to improve.

"The league is very competitive this season, but we are determined to finish as high as we can."

Cowie on Hibs draw

Hibs boss Paul Heckingbottom insists his team are capable of beating Celtic after holding the champions to a 2-2 draw at Easter Road.

The Hibees produced a spirited performance to come from behind twice against the league leaders.

Heckingbottom said: "I'm really proud of the players. They showed great character and determination to come back from behind twice.

"We created a lot of chances and we could have won the game. We are capable of beating Celtic and we will take great confidence from this performance.

Competitive league

The Scottish Premiership is one of the most competitive leagues in Europe. This season, there are five teams within six points of each other at the top of the table.

Celtic are the current champions, but they have been pushed all the way by Rangers, Aberdeen, Hibernian and Dundee United.

The title race is still wide open and any of the top five teams could win it.

'Great' Robinson

Scotland manager Steve Clarke has praised the impact of Ryan Robinson after the Motherwell defender made his international debut in the 2-0 win over San Marino.

Robinson was a surprise inclusion in Clarke's squad, but he impressed with a solid performance at right-back.

Clarke said: "Ryan was great. He was solid defensively and he showed good attacking intent. He is a young player with a lot of potential and I'm delighted with his performance.