Craig Beattie just as happy with final cameo role

THE man who had been the Hampden hero for Hearts against Celtic in the semi-final was happy to have no pressure whatsoever on his shoulders this time. When Craig Beattie appeared on the touchline ready to make his appearance as a substitute with around 15 minutes to go, the final was already won.

There was no need for the striker to show nerves of steel in injury-time from the penalty spot again or come up with another much-talked about celebration after his bare-chested impromptu lap of honour on his last visit to the National Stadium. On this occasion, he simply had to help his side see out time as they wrapped up the most comfortable win by far on their Scottish Cup journey this season.

“Either or,” replied Beattie when asked which of the situations he’d preferred. “It was good coming on with this game won, but it was equally good coming on when I did in the semi-final with pressure on me to do something. They are different but equally enjoyable.”

It was the fourth time Beattie had picked up a winner’s medal in the competition. He reckoned this one surpassed the three he collected as a Celtic player. “This is definitely the sweetest,” he said. “Probably because I’ve played a big part in it, not today but in the quarter-final and the semi-final.

“I scored against St Mirren, set Rudi [Skacel] up in the quarter-finals, set Rudi up again in the semi-final and also scored the winner myself in that. So it’s a great moment in my career.”

What that career now holds for Beattie remains to be seen. The short-term deal he signed in February is due to expire soon. The 28-year-old is keeping his options open but, not surprisingly, he said he wouldn’t be averse to a new contract being offered to him at Tynecastle.

“We’ll sit down and see what’s on offer and the options I’ve got,” he said. “I’ve certainly had a great time here and it [staying] is as valid an option as any. Even if it hadn’t worked out like this, it wouldn’t necessarily not have vindicated my decision coming here as Hearts are a massive club with a lot of potential.

“I would expect there to be talks but I don’t know what stage they will get to. I might be here next season, I might not. Nothing has been mentioned to me and I’ve been happy with that. I’ve been able to work hard and get on with winning cups.”

Based on the impact he’d made in his short time at the club, it was widely felt that Hearts needed Beattie in their starting line-up on Saturday to give them the best possible chance of coming out on top against their city rivals.

As it turned out, they managed to get the job done with him on the bench, a place he was “quite happy” to occupy due to the fact he hadn’t been able to train properly in the build-up to the final because of a tight hamstring and, on top of that, he had also been affected by a bug.

“I think our big players turned up and they performed well,” he said of the game. “I thought we were very good all over the park and we also made our advantage count when they went down to ten men. We were clever, guys like Ian Black and Marius Zaliukas used the ball well, and the pitch, and I thought we controlled the whole game.”

It was the perfect send off for Black and perhaps others, too. “The boys who are leaving are ecstatic,” said Beattie. “We’ve created a slice of history. The boys’ names will live in the history of the club for what we achieved today.”

He also paid tribute to Paolo Sergio. “The guy is fantastic,” he added. “He works differently from what a lot of people are used to but you’ve just got to buy into what he does and trust him. He’s been faultless and I would hope he stays.

“I’m a bit more aware tactically because of the way he works. I just needed a platform to play. Paolo has been good for me and equally I think I’ve done a job for him. I’ve worked hard and been given a chance and repaid him with a winner’s medal, which is something not too many Hearts players can say.”

Few, if any, can say they’ve got their name tattooed on someone’s behind. And Beattie admitted it was a relief that one Hearts fan didn’t need to go to that extent – if he’d scored the winner – for the two Hampden tickets the player put up for grabs in a Twitter competition before the final.

“I couldn’t have someone going around with my name on his a*** and anyway I didn’t score the winner,” he said with a smile. “As long as he enjoyed the game, that’s the main thing.”

Taken from the Scotsman