I'D RATHER BE PLAYING OLD FIRM

EDGARAS JANKAUSKAS reckons Hearts would rather be fighting someone their own size than trying to slap down minnows Gretna in the Scottish Cup Final.

Bookies have made the Jambos overwhelming favourites to lift the trophy in Saturday's David v Goliath battle at Hampden.

But Jankauskas knows the perils of playing against unfancied teams in a cup final because he was the victim of a giant-killing act himself.

That's why Lithuanian Jankauskas would rather Hearts were lining up against Celtic or Rangers - because then the Tynecastle team would know exactly how to combat them.

He was in the Bruges side thrashed 4-0 by lowly Racing Genk who won the Belgian Cup for the first time in one of the biggest shocks in the country's football history.

That happened on the same day as Hearts' last Scottish Cup triumph, when they beat Rangers in the final at Parkhead in 1998.

Jankauskas knows Second Division champions Gretna will give as good as they get in the scrap for the famous old trophy and reckons that is what will make them dangerous opponents.

But he insists Hearts are just at determined to lift the Cup to round off a season in which they clinched a Champions League place by finishing second in the SPL.

The 31-year-old said: "We want to finish off the season with the Scottish Cup in hour hands but no final is a sure thing as anything can happen in that one game.

"Everybody thinks Hearts are overwhelming favourites but I would prefer to have played an SPL team like Celtic, Rangers or Hibs rather than a Second Division team like Gretna.

"Gretna will approach this match as if it is the last game and single most important match of their lives.

"We have the utmost respect for them and it does not matter if they play in the Second, Third or Fourth Division - you can still lose to them.

"I have been in a similar situation to this one when I played for Bruges. We had won the Belgian League by 25 points but were hammered 4-0 in the Cup Final by Genk who were a far weaker team.

"It was a major embarrassment for us and terrible not to have won the trophy everybody had thought you were certainties to win.

"Genk were the better team and proved if you give your all on that cup final day then anything can happen.

"That experience will always be with me and I want to pass on the message to my team-mates that to be in the final and to play a weaker team does not mean Hearts have already won the Cup."

Jankauskas revealed Hearts' buildup will be the same as if they were heading into a clash with the Old Firm.

He said: "We are going to prepare they way would would if we were playing against Celtic or Rangers.

"If it was one of the Old Firm we would need that extra motivation but we will not dismiss Gretna as second-rate or a Second Division team.

"They are in the final with us and we will respect them big time. We have to forget our achievement in finishing second in the league to win a Champions League place and now concentrate on the last game of the season.

"We must focus soley on trying to win the Cup. Any trophy you win in football makes you happy and stays in your memory."

Jankausas is desperate for a medal to make up for his upset at Bruges and a defeat from Benfica when he played for Porto in the Portuguese Cup Final.

He has been taunted all week about it by Jambos team-mate Takis Fyssas, who played for Benfica, although a few days later Jankauskas collected a Champions League medal when Porto beat Monaco in the final.

He said: "I have won more finals than I have lost. Takis always reminds me of that final in 2004.

"He scored and I think it is the only goal he has scored in his career.

"But I showed him my Champions League medal and asked him if he had one - just to exact some revenge."

Since he knows what it takes to capture the ultimate prize in European football, does he believe Hearts can make inroads in the tournament next season?

Jankausas said: "Hearts have a good squad and if we have a good pre-eason and add a few more players to the side then we have the strength to go far in the Champions League.

"We think as winners, we train as winners, we play as winners, we will be winners."

Unless, of course, wee Gretna hit them with a sucker punch.

Taken from the Daily Record