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Rangers and Celtic may have dominated the silverware over the last quarter decade but that doesn't mean they also had the monopoly on great teams.

While the revolutionary spirit of Jim McLean or Alex Ferguson seems a lifetime ago as football continues its polarisation, we can still celebrate the great sides of other teams who, in another era, may very well have gone on to win the big one.

While nobody has been able to unseat the Glasgow two from the league title winners podium there has been more than a few sides with the ability to give them a bloody nose.

Who can forget the swashbuckling mix of youth and experience that combined to give Hibs the X factor under Tony Mowbray?

Or Jim Jefferies' powerful mix of Scottish grit and foreign class that defined Hearts' cup winning side of 1998?

Here we salute the best sides, outside of Glasgow, to have graced our top flight since 1995.

Hearts 97/98

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Even when Rangers and Celtic were at the apex of their 90's pending power, Hearts were able to compete after Jim Jefferies put together a wonderful run in the league, finishing only seven points off the top as the Hoops stopped ten-in-a-row.

A team of grit, determination and no end of skill, they were able to go toe-to-toe with Walter Smith's Rangers side in the Scottish Cup final and bring home the trophy.

In defence they were also solid with young stars Gary Naysmith and David Weir alongside Paul Ritchie and the experienced Dave McPherson.

With Neil McCann, Thomas Flogel, Stephane Adam, Colin Cameron and Jim Hamilton all notable attacking contributes this was a side that could battle and entertain with the best of them.

Hibs 00/01

Hibs comfortably finished third under Alex McLeish in a season where they had several top drawer veteran internationals.

None cast a larger shadow than peerless Frenchman Franck Sauzee who oozed glamour and boasts an unbeaten record in the Edinburgh derby.

While "Le God" was arguably one of the most gifted players to EVER don the famous jersey, he wasn't the only one in the squad with a bit of class.

Russell Latapy also dazzled in North Edinburgh despite arriving in the twilight of his career, his nimble feet and passing range marking him out as exceptional at SPL level.

Up top, MIxu Paatelainen was still a force to be reckoned with while Marc Libbra and David Zitelli were also impressive and stylish players.

Hearts 05/06

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No side has come as close to breaking the Glasgow title stranglehold and many still wonder whether they would have won the league had the club's famously capricious owner Vladimir Romanov not so suddenly dispensed with manager George Burley.

His decision to dispense with the former Ipswich boss when the club were unbeaten at the top of the league and replace him with convicted sex offender Graham Rix must go down as one of the worst decisions in the history of our game.

While the Jambos didn't fulfill their potential as status quo disruptors in the Premiership. They did lift the Scottish Cup by defeating Gretna under their third boss of the season, Valdas Ivanauskas.

With a Scottish spine that included Craig Gordon, Paul Hartley and Steven Pressley, the Edinburgh side had the power and physicality to take on anyone in a fight but they also had the guile to outplay teams thanks to some canny signings.

The likes of Roman Bednar, Takys Fyssas and Rudi Skacel were significant additions that adapted and thrived in our game.

While the Gorgie faithful were to pay a heavy cost for the excesses of their madcap owner in the end, few would deny the thrill of the ride to get there.

Hibs 05/06

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They may have come fourth in a hotly contested Premiership, but this Hibs side best represented the Easter Road side's golden era of young talent.

After a grimly attritional spell under the unpopular Bobby Williamson, Tony Mowbray arrived in 04/05 to introduce a brand of football more in tune with the traditional ethos of the club.

Bringing in talented youngsters from their own system and marrying them with high quality signings like David Murphy and Gary Caldwell was a cocktail that hit the spot.

Derek Riordan is still one of the most naturally gifted strikers of the ball Scottish football has ever seen while his partnership with long-term pal Garry O'Connor was perhaps the last great little and large combination in our game.

Scott Brown has gone on to be one of the most decorated players in history as a controlling midfielder but he was thrilling going forward as a swashbuckling youngster while his classy flatmate Kevin Thomson did the dirty work.

While they didn't win more than a League cup in 2007, this Hibs side achieved something arguably more important when their sales ensured the financial security of the club and enabled the building of a new stand and training centre - a tangible reward for a glittering spell.

Aberdeen 16/17

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The Dons reached their modern apex in a season where they firmly established themselves as Celtic's main competitor, coming second in every competition.

In another year they would have surely got their hands on a trophy but they had the immense misfortune to be up against Brendan Rodgers' invincible Treble winners.

With a brilliantly balanced midfield of Graeme Shinnie, Ryan Jack and Kenny McLean, the Dons had a level of energy and drive from the engine room that few teams could cope with.

While Rangers were poor under first Mark Warburton and then Pedro Caixinha, the Ibrox club's budget dwarfed their rivals so there can be no accusations that Aberdeen were not punching above their weight.

If the season goes down as heart-breaking to many Dons fans, it's only because they were every bit Celtic's equal in a brilliant Scottish Cup final that saw them lose in the most dramatic fashion as Tom Rogic waltzed through their defence to crash home a winner in the final seconds of the game.

Kilmarnock 18/19

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It's easy to forget that after the winter break last season Kilmarnock were still in contention for the title. A Jordan Jones winner against Rangers on January 23 lifted them to one point behind Celtic with 22 games played.

Killie had accumulated the most points of any team in the division across the calendar year of 2018 and Steve Clarke's side were known for their ability to beat the big boys.

They took eight points off Rangers in their four Premiership meetings in 2018-19 and beat Celtic at Rugby Park, with Clarke building a team that was well-organised and dogged but also capable of playing some nice football.

The loss of Greg Stewart in January, combined with Youssouf Mulumbu not being match match fit, saw a run of six games without a win in February and dashed any hopes of a Leicester-style miracle.

But Killie still managed to record a record points total and finish third in the table, securing Europa League qualification in style with a last-gasp win over Rangers at a raucous Rugby Park on the final day.

Fans will still wonder what might have been had Stewart not been recalled by Birmingham City in January, but retain fond memories of a period where they could turn up to games against the big boys with a genuine expectation of winning.