From Lothian to the cusp of greatness

PATIENCE proved a virtue as Hearts took a three-goal lead in their Champions League qualifier against Siroki Brijeg on Wednesday, but with a mouth-watering tie against AEK Athens awaiting them should they retain the advantage when the tie is concluded in Bosnia this week, the players and fans can be forgiven any impatience to get on and complete the job.

The draw for the final qualifying round - made in Nyon on Friday - could have been kinder, but everyone at the club knows it could also have been a whole lot worse.

Of course, no-one at Hearts is publicly counting their chickens, diplomatically insisting the job is still only half done and progression to that AEK Athens game is far from a formality, but that hasn't stopped them contemplating a bright future where further progress would grant them a place in the high-profile group stage.

"I wouldn't underestimate this team. They are a decent team and the job is only half done, but we played quite well tonight," said Christophe Berra after the first leg. Reeling off the names of former winners and members of the footballing meritocracy Hearts could have drawn in the final qualifying hurdle, he says that, while tempting to wish for a big name, the players realise drawing a lesser light maximises their chances of staying in the tournament. It's unlikely the Greek outfit will have been one of the "small" clubs foremost in his mind, but they are still a more preferable draw than the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal or AC Milan.

"In a way, we wanted to draw a big team, so it's a great experience, but in another way we wanted a smaller team so we can get through to the group stages. But it's still only half-time in this one and hopefully we can go over there and get a result.

"I've never been to Bosnia. I wasn't here when the boys played in Sarajevo, but Elvis was just saying that over here Sarajevo didn't look a very good team but over there it was a whole different ball game, they were very good and we rode our luck. So we know it could be a very difficult game over there. But 3-0, it's a great result. We said during the first half that we just needed to be patient because they are a footballing team and European football is a lot different. You've got to pass the ball and bide your time and in the end the goals came. Now we have to go over there and get a goal and it will be hard for them to get back."

A miserly defensive display from the capital club has allowed for such a scenario, a major factor in that the composure and commitment shown by the 21-year-old himself. "Yeah, in any European game, in the Champions League or Uefa Cup, in the home game it's very important to try to keep a clean sheet. If they get an away goal that means you have to win 2-0 over there so it's very good to keep a clean sheet."

If getting to the group stages of the world's premier cub competition would signal a massive leap for the Tynecastle outfit, it would be an almighty elevation for the young defender. The Edinburgh lad has just signed a new contract which links him to the club for the next five years and club owner Vladimir Romanov has stated his desire to give youth its chance. Berra is delighted and insists he does not need to be asked twice to stake his claim.

Having been brought into the starting line-up to fill the void left by Andy Webster and the injured Jose Goncalves, Berra is determined to make the position his own with more of the assured performances which belie his tender years.

"This was my first big European game, so it helps that I think I've done well and it bodes well for the future. I gained experience and, although I made wee mistakes, I will learn from that for the next game and hopefully keep on progressing as a player.

"I think I've done well. Even at the end of last season, I played four or five games, including at Parkhead and Ibrox, and I've done really well. I think in every game I have proved that I can do it and hopefully the gaffer has faith in me.

"I was a wee bit nervous at the beginning of this game, like the crowd, but as soon as you get your first touch or first header you're not really thinking about it, you're just concentrating on the game and you don't listen to the crowd much."

If the recent five-year deal has offered him cause for comfort, if not complacency, the same could be said for the presence of club captain Steven Pressley alongside him in the heart of the defence.

"Yeah, Elvis is so experienced and he talks you through the game and if you make a wee mistake he doesn't moan at you, he tries to help you and tell you what the right step forward is. I always listen to what he says to me and try to impose it on my game. I think [the new deal] has given me a lot of security. I want to progress in the next two or three years and try to do my best to get into the Scotland international set-up as well and, hopefully, if I keep on improving then you never know what could happen."

In the short-term his sights are firmly set on Champions League progression. And if it's an ongoing education for the Edinburgh lad, it is also offering some in the Hearts support the opportunity to learn from experience.

"It was a bit nervy [in the first half] because it was 0-0 and we could tell that they are a very quick counter-attacking team and they had a few wee chances, so it was very important for us to get the first goal and after that you could tell the nerves had settled and we started to play good football.

"Sometimes the crowd get a bit annoyed when we pass it back, but that's European football. If you watch Barcelona and Real Madrid, Man United, Liverpool, Chelsea, they all do that. It's about possession and being patient and the build up and, obviously, once we got the goal then we could relax."

But, while the nerves have dispersed slightly, Berra insists he is taking nothing for granted until the final whistle sounds in Bosnia. Heeding the warnings of others, he says memories of Champions Leagues past will also keep him on his toes.

"I remember I was away with Scotland at a training camp and we watched the game where Liverpool won the final on penalties. The thing I dream of is lining up out there and the Champions League anthem coming on. Hopefully we will get to that stage - it will be very emotional - and hopefully I'll play. We watched that [final] in the hotel and had a room set aside to watch it. Liverpool were losing 3-0 in that one and still won. It shows that a lead can be overhauled, so we know when we go [to Bosnia] it will be a very hard job and we need to be focused and concentrate on that game and prove ourselves."

That's something young Berra is doing every time he steps out onto the pitch these days.

Taken from the Scotsman