Roman relishing chance to face his boyhood heroes in Scotland and back in his homeland

HE ARRIVED in Edinburgh at the beginning of last season scared and unsure, but, having exorcised his own fears, Roman Bednar says it is the opposition who should be trying to quell feelings of self-doubt when they face up to Hearts now.

The Tynecastle striker, who always has the excited air of a naive kid who can scarcely believe his good fortune, is once again in jovial mood. There is another European tie to look forward to on Thursday and if that wasn't enough, it will see the new football love of his life pitted against his boyhood idols, Sparta Prague.

"This tie is good for us," says the Czech youngster, beaming. "Sparta Prague are the best team in the Czech Republic and all my life I've been a supporter. It will be something special. It's also special for Michel [Pospisil] as he played there.

"I went to support them as a child before I became a professional. I can't remember my first game as I would have been about six or seven but I went with my father so we'd just sit watching. The last game I remember was Sparta playing Viktoria Zizkov and Sparta won 1-0. I think that was four of five years ago."

He hasn't watched them since but has kept up to date by reading newspapers and surfing the internet. This season has made fairly grim reading, with a slack start to their domestic campaign. After the first five games, they had just eight points and languished in ninth place in the league. It led to the dismissal of coach Stanislav Griga and the appointment of replacement Mikel Bilek just over a week ago.

"He played there before and was the gaffer with a small team [Viktoria Plzen] before getting the job. He did very well there and I think he's a good manager," said Bednar. Aware of the new coach as a player, he has also spoken to Sparta players and believes the management swap will make Hearts' job of progressing to the UEFA Cup group stages more troublesome.

"He will have the respect of his players. It's been a problem. I heard there was some fighting before he arrived. This is no good. We have a fantastic dressing room and I feel that's important. If he can change this they will be a different team and maybe they'll start winning some games. I think it will make them more difficult. Their players are potentially the best and maybe he'll make them the best again. But it's more important how we play."

No fear, merely eager anticipation. And that from a lad who admits that, 12 months ago, he was daunted by the task of adapting to his new life and living up to the demands made of him at Hearts.

"When I moved here at first I was a little bit scared. Now I believe in myself and the team. When I came here I was young and had played for two years in the second league in Czech and one year in the top league. I felt I had no experience. Now I feel much better."

Despite injury, which sidelined him for a couple of months of last season, he still did enough to earn the plaudits of every one of the managers who came and went throughout the season. George Burley even claimed he was the best young player he had ever worked with and, if his skill and dedication were winning him praise from his gaffers, his goals and overall play were appreciated by his team-mates and the Tynecastle fans alike.

He became a firm favourite with the supporters in his first season, despite the fact his injury prevented him reaching peak potential. His heart-on-sleeve, whole-hearted approach allied to his decision to sit among the fans rather than among the dignitaries when Hibs were ousted by Hearts in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden earned him cult status.

One of a number of players brought to the club via a deal with Kaunas, which immediately saw him loaned out to Hearts, Bednar has now completed a new deal which renders him the sole property of the capital club. It is a piece of business he welcomed.

"I had a contract with Kaunas and had never been and never thought I would go, it was just on paper. My heart has always been with Hearts - not Kaunas. Now I've got the papers."

The Edinburgh side could have lost out to Sparta Prague, who also expressed an interest last year. "But I don't think it was serious and Hearts wanted me so I moved here. I think I've done very well," he said. But to prove that to his countrymen, Bednar and his team-mates will have to get the better of the country's most consistent performers on the European stage in recent years.

"At home we must have a go. If we score two or three goals that will be fantastic. That's important because Sparta, at home, will be strong, like Hearts. It's probably 50-50 but if we play like we can, we can do it. We are a technical and strong side too. When we go 100 per cent we are a very good team. We don't have to think too much about other teams like Sparta. If we play like we want we can win every game. That's what we've felt all last season and this season."

Which explains the bravado when the UEFA Cup draw was made. Friends with Celtic target and fellow Czech under-21 player Michal Kadlec, the mischievous Bednar says he has already been warning the full-back that he will get the better of him when the go head-to-head.

"I was speaking with him straight after the draw! I said 'I will score against you' and he said 'no way - I will kill you.' It will be fun. I've known this guy from the under 21 national squad. He's a nice guy and I'm looking forward to seeing him again. But I've played against him twice before and won against him twice. I never scored against him but had chances. And I still played well."

While he hopes Kadlec gets little opportunity to impress his Old Firm suitors in the tie against Hearts, Bednar says his friend would have been a success for Celtic had they succeeded in their bid to sign him and, having overcome his own fears of inadequacy, he insists he has benefited from the challenge of Scotland's Premierleague and improved as a player.

"When I moved here I started being more professional and giving 110 per cent every day. I think I am better for this. That's the reason that for the first time I've been in the Czech national squad. Before, I would play a couple of games good and a couple nothing special but now I'm always good and sometimes fantastic but never bad. Hearts has made me into a better player and I want to show Sparta Prague this.

"It's also a chance to show the national coach Karel Bruckner but I don't want to think about that. When you start thinking about this you don't play how you want. It's better just to think of the game. I want to score and I want to win. Only when you are winning do people talk about players that have done well."

Hardly the musings of a guy with an inferiority complex. But that's part and parcel of life at Hearts these days. No-one admits to fear there now. These days they like feeling superior and for that to continue unabashed, they have to put the disappointment of their Champions League exit to one side and prove they have what it takes to survive in the UEFA Cup.

Taken from the Scotsman