Hearts have put soul into new Scots

IT only takes a glance to see the strong Tynecastle influence on Walter Smith's squad which kicks off Scotland's European Championship qualifying campaign this weekend against the minnows of the Faroe Islands.

Craig Gordon, Steven Pressley, Robbie Neilson and Paul Hartley, all stars in the current set-up in Gorgie are all there as are former Hearts players David Weir, Gary Naysmith and Scott Severin.

And you'd imagine Andy Webster would also be there if he wasn't in a state of limbo as he attempts to sever his ties with the Jambos.

But today Severin lifted the lid on just what an impact the Tynie contingent has had, revealing how the past and present players romped to a 4-0 training ground win over the rest of Smith's squad.

The Aberdeen midfield powerhouse said: "We had a game of eight or nine-a-side and the seven of us were in the same team. It wasn't pre-planned or anything like that, it was just the way the bibs were handed out.

"Gary was saying we'd call ourselves 'Hearts' but [former Hibs striker] Kenny Miller [pictured below] was in our team and he made it clear he was not at all keen on being classed a Hearts player.

"Of course it was a bit of light-hearted banter but it did underline the strong link and just how the club has produced players for Scotland in the past and continues to do so today."

The match and the scoreline may have been the source of a few laughs but Severin insisted Saturday's opening match at Celtic Park will be deadly serious with no-one within the Scotland squad taking the Faroe Islands for granted.

And with good cause, the memory of Scotland's shambolic draw against the Faroes in the Toftir Stadium almost exactly four years ago still causing the 27-year-old to shudder.

Although part of the hapless Berti Vogts' squad that day, Severin found himself sitting in the stand as an onlooker.

But even so, like every other Scottish fan, he found what was unfolding before his eyes difficult to comprehend.

By half-time the Faroese were two goals up, Scotland rescuing a solitary point thanks to captain Paul Lambert and his successor Barry Ferguson.

Severin said: "If you had offered us a 2-2 draw before that match I think everyone would have declined and thought that would be a dreadful outcome for us. But it wasn't a nice day, we'd had a two-hour coach ride to the stadium and so the preparations weren't too good.

"They were right up for it and deservedly went 2-0 up and if I remember correctly they could have been even further ahead and had that happened I don't think there would have been any way back for us.

"We didn't start playing until we were two down and, while a draw was disappointing, you could also argue that it wasn't a bad result given that it is very difficult in international football to claw back such a lead regardless of who you are playing against."

Astonishingly, only Everton's David Weir, Christian Dailly of West Ham United and Preston North End's Graham Alexander are survivors from that day, September 7, 2002. And, while Severin insisted today's squad was confident of victory on Saturday, he admitted the draw in the Faroes would remain a timely reminder of just what can happen.

He said: "It's the start of a new campaign and everyone is looking forward to it."

However, Severin and his team-mates know they face a mammoth task to reach the finals of a major competition for the first time since the World Cup in France eight years ago.

Only the top two countries from each group will qualify for Euro 2008 which will be held jointly by Austria and Switzerland and with World Cup winners Italy, France and Ukraine in Scotland's group along with Lithuania and Georgia every point gained will be crucial.

Although the Faroes at home presents a somewhat lesser menace than many of Scotland's future matches, Severin admitted opening the campaign with such a fixture brought a different kind of pressure.

He said: "I suppose it looks like the perfect start for us against a small nation at home but these games are always a potential banana skin. There are no easy games, you only get the three points if you play the 90 minutes and put the ball in the back of their net.

"But having said that, we feel that if we play to our capabilities then we can get off to a good start. If we sneak a 1-0 win or 2-0 doesn't matter, the over-riding thing for us is simply to win."

Taking the three points on Saturday, however, is only half the equation according to Severin who insisted victory in Lithuania next Wednesday was just as vital.

He said: "I think we have to look on these two games as 'must win'. It's going to be tough in both games but with the players we have we feel we are capable."

And to back up his claim, Severin pointed out that, while Scotland's last World Cup qualifying campaign had ended in bitter disappointment, they had, at least drawn against Italy at Hampden and beaten Norway in Oslo.

Given the quality of opposition in Scotland's group Severin admitted he believes the rest will take points from each other.

And that makes it vital that Smith's squad take full advantage of results elsewhere by not unexpectedly slipping up themselves.

He said: "Obviously we'll be hoping for them to take points off each other. Every game in the group will be difficult but we have two matches we feel we should win and if we can do that then it will set us up nicely for the bigger countries and bring us some confidence."

Taken from the Scotsman