We can't end our season as flops.

Steve Fulton fears Hearts could end their best season for 10 years being branded failures.

Fulton knows defeat by Rangers in tomorrow's Scottish Cup Final could wipe out a stunning season that saw the Jambos locked in a pulsating three-way title chase.

The Tynecastle midfield man said: "We've been handed plaudits all season for our Premier League challenge and most fans now expect us to win something.

"The cup is our last chance and if we don't win, it will be looked upon as a bit of a failure."

With Gary Locke KO'd through injury, Fulton is set to captain Hearts at Parkhead as they bid to end a 36-year trophy famine.

He said: "What a tremendous honour it would be to pick up the cup. It would be a really emotional experience.

"This also gives us the chance to make up for that nightmare 5-1 defeat by Rangers two years ago. We were all shattered by that.

"Rangers tore us apart that day but there have been a lot of changes at Tynecastle since then and we are better equipped."

Fulton has dyed his hair blond for the final and grinned: "Jose Quitongo and I agreed during the week that we'd get a hair-do for the big game. Unfortunately, he backed out.

"My dad's not seen it yet but he will when he picks up the paper."

Boss Jim Jefferies was handed a boost on the eve of the final when 22- year-old Scotland kid Paul Ritchie signed a new two-year deal.

The Tynecastle chief said: "We asked Paul to make a decision before the final. Once he made that decision he could relax and be in the right frame of mind."

Ritchie said: "I always wanted to stay at Hearts, but it was a question of getting the right deal.

"I'm getting married in a fortnight so it will be a big couple of weeks for me. Both are huge days, so hopefully we can begin by winning the cup."

Ritchie is desperate to bring the cup back to Gorgie to erase the pain of one of the worst days of his career.

He was just 19 when Rangers - inspired by rampant Brian Laudrup - left him in tears on the Hampden turf after that 5-1 hiding.

Ritchie said: "For that to happen in your first cup final was devastating.

"Rangers just ran over the top of us. Nothing went right. Gordon Durie and Brian Laudrup just ran riot. I remember Richard Gough coming up to me at the end and saying `you are still young and you will have a chance to do this again', which was nice, but at 19 it was such a hard thing to get over.

"Hopefully there will be no repeat on Saturday. I can remember Laudrup even doing keepy-uppy, which must have been great if you were a Rangers fan.

"But for a fellow pro it was disappointing because we couldn't get near him to stop it.

"But football is about entertainment, and Laudrup on his day is one of the best players in the world."

Taken from the Daily Record