David Templeton hopes domestic ban won't harm first-team spot for Euro clash

THE Hearts star reckons they can get over the Liverpool defeat by dumping Aberdeen but hopes his league ban won't cost him place for second leg.

DAVID TEMPLETON last night backed Hearts to bounce back from the disappointment of their loss to Liverpool by beating Aberdeen tomorrow.

Trouble is, the little winger might not get the chance of a dream appearance at Anfield if they do.

Templeton is banned for the visit to Pittodrie after picking up a two-game suspension retrospectively for kicking out at Hibs captain James McPake during the recent Edinburgh derby and admits he has only himself to blame.

And while he is hoping his mates can win in the Granite City, he is praying his good performance against Liverpool will be enough to earn an instant recall for the second leg next Thursday.

Templeton said: “The boys will be buzzing for the Aberdeen game and it’s just a pity that I’m suspended for it. Hopefully we can get a good three points.

“I hoped I wouldn’t be banned because if you look at the incident I was looking at the ground when I kicked out and I didn’t mean to catch him. It was stupid of me and something I will learn from.

“Deep down I suppose I knew I’d get banned but it was just a matter of how many games. It’s something I won’t do again.

“It’s not easy to get back in and if the team gets a good result on Sunday and the gaffer keeps the same team for Anfield then it’s my own fault.

“If he picks me then I’ll be delighted and when I get back in I want to keep my place.”

The Hearts attacker is adamant his team-mates should not be down in the dumps after losing to Andy Webster’s unfortunate own goal.

Templeton believes Hearts showed they can match the best and he is not giving up the tie. He said: “You saw everyone worked their socks off and it was disappointing not come away with a 0-0. I thought we deserved that at least.

“It is disappointing but the boys have to pick themselves up and take that performance into the Aberdeen game now.

“When you look at the side Liverpool put out, it was still very strong and the price tags on some of them are unbelievable. But it shows we can match them if we play to our strengths.

“I thought we were unlucky. We had a few chances. I had a couple myself that I could have maybe done better with. On another day one of those goes in and who knows what the result could have been?”

Templeton’s looking for Hearts to get the rub of the green next time around and said: “Last year we lost 5-0 to Tottenham and everyone thought we’d lose by the same in the second leg. In the end we drew 0-0 and hit the bar and were unlucky that night as well.

“We just have to try to stay confident and hope it goes our way.Hopefully next week we can get our share of luck and it works out to our advantage.”

Templeton has ambitions to play at the top level in England and was boosted to hear Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers say he was considering a move for him last season when the Northern Irishman was managing Swansea.

He added: “It’s good to hear someone speaking highly of me – especially someone who was a Premier League boss at Swansea.

“If he had come in for me that would have been great, but I have to keep on performing week in, week out and hopefully managers of that calibre will keep looking at me.”

Taken from the Daily Record