Jambos' joy reminds Gary of his own Heart break

GARY MACKAY celebrated with the best of them when Hearts won the Scottish Cup this season but admits that it was tinged with a sadness that he ended his Tynecastle career without winning a trophy.

The Tynecastle legend believes he will never achieve the same high as he did at the end of a season which saw Hearts clinch a place in the Champions League and win the Scottish Cup but will always regret that he never got to experience that winning feeling himself.

The former midfielder made a club record 515 appearances in a Hearts career which spanned 17 years, but he left Tynecastle in 1997 - narrowly missing out on the club's Scottish Cup win over Rangers just 12 months later.

Mackay, now working as a football agent, admitted: "It has always been a huge disappointment for me that I was there for so long and had so many near-misses. Seeing the reaction from the fans has made it hit home a bit, but I'm as big a Hearts fan as anyone and I've loved it as a supporter.

"To be honest 1998 was probably harder for me because it was only a year after I left the club and I really felt it. I've openly admitted that I was jealous of the players who have lifted the Scottish Cup with Hearts, more so in 1998. Since then, there's been a lot of water under the bridge, so many things have happened at the club and there has been a lot of turmoil. The time that has passed has allowed me to enjoy the cup win this time without too many thoughts of what might have been.

"The whole experience of 2006 has been out on its own as far as I am concerned. I've watched it happen as a supporter and it was fantastic to see them bring the cup back to Tynecastle.

"And the night that they clinched the Champions League place against Aberdeen was just unbelievable. It wasn't a derby or a game against one of the Old Firm, but the atmosphere was amazing. I don't think I will ever experience that high again."

Despite his personal disappointment at missing out on the chance to lift silverware with Hearts himself, Mackay has been delighted to see success return to the club since Vladimir Romanov's arrival.

Last season Valdas Ivanauskas was the coach who finally led Hearts to that famous cup win over Gretna - courtesy of a nerve-jangling period of extra time and a penalty shoot-out - following the departures of George Burley and Graham Rix. He also, of course, took charge of the team on that famous night when Champions League football was secured.

And Mackay added: "You can't take anything away from them, they are the most successful Hearts team I have ever seen.

"I am 42 now and I used to go and watch Hearts play with my grandad when I was three or four and there is no doubt in my mind that they are the best. They've had success on two fronts this season and will be looking to do even better next season."

However, the former Hearts midfielder believes the club could have gone one step further and claimed the SPL title had Romanov only given Burley more time at the helm.

Burley, now boss of Championship ship side Southampton, was axed by the Lithuanian businessman despite the fact Hearts were riding high at the top of the table and Mackay insisted: "No matter how much success the team have had this season, I personally believe that it could have been much better if George Burley had remained as manager.

"I feel that if he had stayed at the club then Hearts could have won the league, others might have a different opinion, but I believe he would have made a difference.

"That's the disappointing thing. We did have some good performances - the games against Hibs in the semi-final and the two league games against Celtic - but the performances under George Burley were absolutely the best I have witnessed as a player and a supporter."

Romanov himself has admitted that his main plan of attack last season was to catch the Old Firm unawares and they certainly managed to do that to one half of Glasgow.

However, many expect the league to be a tougher proposition next term with Rangers bringing in Paul le Guen and Celtic and Hibs both set to add to their squads.

Mackay knows the Hearts owner will not rest on his laurels and will also strengthen his sizeable squad in the summer and while the element of surprise may be missing when the season kicks-off again in August he believes the Tynecastle outfit will be better equipped for the new league campaign.

He continued: "A lot of people have been saying they will lose the element of surprise and that will harm their chances, but I think Hearts will be stronger next season because they already have the nucleus of the team in place.

"They will all get a good pre-season together this time, compared to the last campaign when they went to Dublin and were really scratching around for players.

"A lot of them will have played together already, they will have had a full pre-season together and I think that will make them an even tighter unit than they already are."

Taken from the Scotsman