For me, the strangest of homecomings will be my own unique tale of two countries

I WAS at home in Kaunas when I heard the news that Scotland and Lithuania had been drawn in the same Euro 2008 qualifying group.

My first reaction was surprise, not least that the game would pitch Hearts players against each other on different teams and in separate changing rooms.
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Soon afterwards I heard that England would be playing against Russia - where I was born in Soviet times - and there was also the draw in the Champions League qualifiers that pitched Hearts against a team from Bosnia, a country I know very well from my business interests there. It all seemed like too many coincidences in such a short period of time.

Anyway, now the time has come for the Lithuania v Scotland game and it is, to me, a mouth-watering prospect.

I'll be going with Svetlana, my wife, and our son Roman. The ground is very close to our home. We've been talking about this game a lot, discussing players and trying to imagine what will happen on Wednesday. We're all really looking forward to the match.

With so many Hearts players on both sides, I don't want to make any prediction about the result. It could be dangerous for me to do so! Rather, I want to see some really impressive football. In any case, experience shows you can never predict how the game will go. Take our recent match in Athens, for example, when I was deeply impressed by the Hearts' players strong spirit, especially when there were only eight outfield players left on the pitch and still the Greeks had trouble scoring. I'll remember that game for a very long time.

But back to Wednesday's contest. For Scotland, Paul Hartley will be in his best shape, I think, and Robbie Neilson may well be involved for the first time. I'm sure that Craig Gordon will demonstrate to the Lithuanians an example of true professionalism, and I hope that our club captain Steven Pressley will stand out as a giant with his strong character. I don't think it will be an easy game for the Lithuanian forwards.

As for the home team, their strength is in their ability not to resort to crude football when they're under pressure. I hope they will use their skill against Scotland.

Deividas Cesnauskis will surprise us with his individual style, and I have hopes that Saulius Mikoliunas - very fit this season - will stand out. We should also see Andrius Velicka and Marius Zaliukas, recently arrived at Tynecastle on loan from FBK Kaunas, playing for Lithuania for the first time. So let's see!

Sadly, Edgaras Jankauskas and Nerijus Barasa are injured and won't be playing but it will still be an unusual feeling to have so many players on both sides.

I'm really happy, too, to welcome all the Scottish who will be travelling to Lithuania. I'm sure we will see a very interesting and memorable game but I also hope that you'll get to see something of my country and especially Kaunas, the city where I have lived since I was a kid. I sincerely hope you will like and enjoy Lithuania.

If you have time, I recommend you to spend a while looking around the old town in Kaunas, especially the medieval fortress, which is built on the confluence of two rivers, the Nemunas and Neris.

I hope you enjoy our Lithuanian beer too - and a local dish, which is, I suppose, our version of haggis. We call it zeppelins, it's like a potato pie with chopped meat inside. The first words which you'll hear from Lithuanian people is "Laba Diena", which means hello.

I am sorry to hear that Brooks Mileson may not make it to the game. After the epic Scottish Cup final in May, I had hoped he would be my personal guest in Kaunas. I sincerely wish him a speedy return to good health as soon as possible.

As Gretna head towards the Scottish Premierleague, you'll need strong health to cope with it, Brooks, so get better and all the best to you.

Finally, I hope the Scots fans won't find any problems changing Scottish pounds into our local currency, called litas. I know this can be a problem sometimes when travelling abroad for Scots - including to England!

Of course, I can't speak for other Lithuanian banks, but UKIO Bankas cashiers both in Kaunas and our capital Vilnius will be glad to help you.

Taken from the Scotsman