Barr wary of mentor Hughes’ will to win

Published on Tuesday 25 September 2012 02:15

HEARTS defender Darren Barr knows John Hughes will arrive at Tynecastle with his Livingston players fully fired up for their Scottish Communities League Cup tie.

Hughes launched Barr’s first-team career at Falkirk and is doing the same for several more young players in a youthful Livingston side.

The West Lothian team lost 4-0 at Dunfermline on Saturday but Barr knows not to underestimate a side managed by the driven former Hibernian manager, whose side beat Stranraer 8-0 in the first round.

Barr said: “He wants to play the right way so we know it will be a hard game. He had an absolutely massive impact on my career, he was the one who gave me my first chance. I can’t thank him enough.

“He’s a winner – he just wants to win. He instils that in his players and the way he wants them to play football. He has that mentality where he always wants to be the best. He’s a top manager, he can get the best out of his players.”

Manager John McGlynn has vowed to pick his strongest available team tonight as Hearts look to build on their William Hill Scottish Cup success and, more recently, Saturday’s 3-0 win at Dundee United.

“Cup football is massive for Hearts,” 27-year-old Barr said. “For players as well, we love the cup and you’ve seen last year the occasion that we earned for both the club and the fans. It was absolutely brilliant and it means everything to us.

“I’ve experienced a few cup finals and I want more of them. We’ve got a few young boys in the side as well and the experience it will give them will be unreal.”

Barr played as Hearts lost to Ayr in last season’s competition and is steeled to avoid another shock. “Ayr last year was a bad night,” Barr said. “We don’t want a 
re-occurrence of that.

“We had joy in the Scottish Cup but we want to prove ourselves in this competition as well.

“We need to apply ourselves in the right way. On Saturday, it worked and hopefully we can kick on from there.”

Taken from the Scotsman