They'll hang our picture on wall now

PAUL RITCHIE is delighted to have exorcised the ghost of Hearts' past glories - and win his place on the Jambos wall of fame.

The youngster was immense in the Jambo defence as they finally ended their 42-year Scottish Cup hoodoo with a 2-1 final win.

But seeing his picture hanging alongside those of former Hearts' heroes on the walls at Tynecastle will mean even more to him than picking up his winners' gong at Parkhead.

Photographs of the stars from Hearts' last cup triumph - in 1956 - are displayed proudly around the ground.

Fallen

Guys like John Cumming, Alfie Conn and Jimmy Wardhaugh will always be part of the Gorgie club's folklore.

But after Saturday, Ritchie and his Jambos buddies are the new kids for frame.

And he vowed it won't be long before they are celebrating another trophy triumph.

He said: "If I'm completely honest in the past few years we've been a laughing stock when it came to winning cups.

"We've got to lots of semi-finals and finals but have always fallen at the final hurdle.

"We've been given the tag of nearly men and quite rightly so.

"What really drove it home to me and the rest of the players was when Jim Jefferies talked about players from the last time Hearts won a cup.

"He spoke highly of Johnny Cumming, Jimmy Wardhaugh and Alfie Conn.

To Hearts fans those players are big stars, and quite rightly so.

"We have pictures of them up on the walls of the ground - but Jim told us it was time we had pictures of ourselves up on the wall as winners.

"He asked 'Why shouldn't Paul Ritchie, Neil McCann, Colin Cameron, Steve Fulton and David Weir become legends?'

"No disrespect to guys like Cumming and Wardhaugh but Jim was right.

"We shouldn't have to go as far back as 1956 to take inspiration to win a cup.

"We should only have to look as far back as a season or at the most a couple.

"A club of the stature of Hearts should be winning things every year and after this win we can maybe start to look on things that way.

"We want to lift a host of trophies to ensure that in 20 years to come we can be an inspiration for future Hearts sides."

Despite his obvious delight, Ritchie is only too aware that many expected Hearts to stumble at the finishing post again.

As a fan he has suffered a life full of last day misery - most noteably in 1986 when Hearts came close to winning the double only to end up with nothing.

As a player he was humiliated in the 1996 Scottish Cup final by rampant Rangers.

But he admits Saturday's victory has finally wiped away those bitter memories.

He said: "I went to watch Hearts a lot as a kid and my grandad started taking me when I was six.

Agony

"Even though I was very young when Hearts lost the double in 1986 it still hurts.

"I've also had hurt as a player, getting to two finals and ending up a loser in both.

"A couple of years ago I played in the Hearts side that was run ragged by Rangers.

"Brian Laudrup tore me to bits and at 19 that can end a players career.

"But this win makes up for all of that agony."

Ritchie, however, admits his final joy was almost shattered by a mistimed tackle on Ibrox hitman Ally McCoist.

Furious McCoist left Ritchie in no doubt over his feelings about the tackle, but the Hearts stopper insists he didn't try to put the boot in.

He said: "Ally was very angry with me at that tackle and accused me of trying to do him in.

"He said I went over the top of him and deliberately tried to injure his leg.

"But he's wrong to think that because I'd never do that to a fellow professional.

"There was absolutely no intent.

I was just looking after myself.

"I said at the start of the week that I felt the script was written for Ally.

"It was a cup final at Parkhead and possibly his last game for Rangers.

He was likely to do some damage against us.

"That's why I wasn't going to shirk out of a tackle with him with two minutes left.

"I couldn't afford to stand back and watch him go past me and score an equaliser.

"But if he feels I tried to put him out of the game I apologise - even though he's wrong.

Anyway, Ally doesn't seem to hold a grudge because he congratulated me after the match."

However, Ritchie urged his team-mates not to settle for a one-off success.

Jambos ran Celtic and Rangers close in the title race before falling away in the last couple of games.

But Ritchie insists that WON'T be the case next year and prays there will be no more Heartache for the fans.

He said: "We have to aim for the league next season and I think we've got a good chance of making an impression.

"We'll have a settled side and the manager will be looking to add to that.

Belief

"That's a big advantage for us and if we get off to a good start it will give us a great chance."

Meanwhile, Neil McCann revealed he KNEW he was going to be a Scottish Cup winner even before a ball was kicked at Parkhead.

He said: "We had so much self belief that we felt as if we were going into the final as favourites.

"Now we've wiped the slate clean and got over a big barrier and this is the nicest feeling of my life football-wise.

"The gaffer went round each one of us after the game and told us we had become legends.

"It's a wonderful feeling to be given that sort of accolade."