THAT WAS 180 MINS OF AGONY

ROBBIE NEILSON admits he suffered the most torrid 180 minutes of his career last week - but has vowed to bounce back stronger than ever.

The Hearts full-back was on a high after being named in his first full Scotland squad on Thursday by Walter Smith.

But it came on the back of two plunging lows in a row - scars he knows he'll need to work on to heal in a hurry.

The rock-steady 26-year old was given a severe seeing-to by Rangers' wing wonder Lee Martin last week, a battering that saw him red-carded at the death in the Jambos' 2-0 defeat at Ibrox.

And again on Wednesday night, a sixth-minute booking against AEK Athens left him impotent and exposed against a quality Greek left side.

But Neilson insisted he won't crumble and vowed: "You must gain from every experience.

"The last two games have been as difficult as I've experienced.

It's hard going to Ibrox then the Olympic Stadium.

Games such as the one on Wednesday, they're a big step up for me. You're facing a different class of player.

"And it didn't help getting the early booking. The way things were going with the referee I thought I could be next for a red. It was a tightrope.

"If you want to get to the highest level you have to be able to cope with that though.

"Hopefully I can do it. It's mentally tough in the Champions League and I know it will be even harder at international level but you have to be strong.

"But what has happened doesn't dent my self belief. All it does is makes me want to work harder and improve and get back on this stage."

But for now it's a stage Neilson will only see through his TV screen.

Hearts' 5-1 aggregate exit ended their Champions League dream and he sighed: "We worked so hard last year to get there and it's all for nothing.

"Okay, we go into the knockout round for the group stages of the UEFA Cup which is something at least but it isn't where we want to be.

"And we'll look at who AEK get in the groups and think it could have been us. But I guess it just wasn't to be.

Taken from the Sunday Mail