MCCANN'S PLEA FROM THE HEART

NEIL McCANN last night begged his Hearts team-mates to tread carefully and avoid shooting themselves in the foot in Europe.

Winger McCann is convinced the Jambos can finish off Siroki Brijeg in Bosnia tonight if they remain on their guard.

He issued the warning as the Tynecastle club head into the second leg of the Champions League second qualifying round tie with a seemingly unassailable 3-0 lead that puts them in pole position for a final qualifier against Greek outfit AEK Athens.

But despite the odds being stacked against Siroki, the 31-year-old insists nothing can be taken for granted on foreign soil.

McCann said: "It was nice to see the draw and the possibility of who we might face in the third qualifier but we are all professional enough to make sure we get the right result in this game then we can look forward to the next match.

"You must guard against complacency in every game.

"When you go abroad and face different styles, you have to be on your guard all the time. You cannot be blase and think the job is already done.

"We will give Siroki every respect because they are champions of their country.

"And if we go over there thinking the tie is already over, then we could shoot ourselves in the foot.

"We have watched a couple of videos of them and they look quite useful.

"So it is important we close the game out and try to score a goal.

"If we score early on then that should make it more comfortable for us."

The Hearts defence remains the most settled part of the team with the emergence of young centreback Christophe Berra in place of Andy Webster.

Former Rangers and Southampton star McCann takes comfort from the consistency the Tynecastle rearguard have shown in recent times.

He said: "One thing we do have is immense confidence in the boys at the back.

"They were fantastic last year and have started off the same way this season so we know they will stand strong at the back.

"But we know we are in a good position and, if we get a goal, it will give us a great chance to go through to the next round."

Taken from the Daily Record