IT'S A BIG HELP I'VE DONE THIS BE-FOUR

JOHN O'NEIL has been there, done that, but after three major finals with three different clubs he's still to pick up the t-shirt.

A veteran of two Scottish Cup Finals and one League Cup Final the little Gretna midfielder has ended up on the losing side every time.

But despite failing to secure a winner's medal with Dundee United, St Johnstone or Hibs, O'Neil feels he has more than just tales of woe to offer team-mates who haven't played in a final before.

The 34-year-old says he has a responsibility to guide them through the big day, just as Dave Narey and Maurice Malpas took him under their wing when he was a rookie 19-year-old at United.

O'Neil, who joined Gretna from Falkirk in January, said: "I remember looking up to guys like Dave and Maurice at United before the 1991 final against Motherwell. They had such a big influence on settling my nerves.

"They didn't look nervous so I thought, 'Why should I be nervous?' I looked up to these guys and knew they would pull me through."

O'Neil will complete his Hampden preparations with a quiet moment of reflection.

He said: "People react differently. Some like to bawl and shout.

"But I like to sit and contemplate and reflect before a game. That's the way I deal with the pressure and nerves. I don't like to get too hyped up about it."

O'Neil came on as a sub scored in the 1991 final but United lost 4-3 and it isn't an occasion he remembers with any relish.

He said: "I was just a kid but fully expected to play. I was involved in most of the games before the final but then I got dropped. I was nearly in tears.

"I came on at half-time and scored but we got beaten and that was really disappointing."

O'Neil went on to lose the 1998 League Cup Final 2-1 to Rangers with St Johnstone and the 2001 Scottish Cup Final 3-1 to Celtic with Hibs.

He added: "I've got bad memories because I didn't pick up a winner's medal but getting to a final is still an achievement.

"I feel different this time, more relaxed. Whether it's down to age or not I just don't feel the pressure."

Taken from the Daily Record