Frankie Kent rejects Hearts and PAOK gulf notion as he prepares to embrace Toumba Stadium madness

Frankie Kent knows only too well the twists of fate a do-or-die play-off can throw up.

This time he’s praying the shoe is on the other foot as Hearts’ Europa Conference League future hangs in the balance. The 27-year-old defender was part of a Peterborough side who lost to Sheffield Wednesday in their League One semi-final a little over three months ago. But the outcome was all the more demoralising given Posh squandered a 4-0 first-leg cushion as the Owls progressed to Wembley on penalties.

The Englishman admits that dramatic capitulation down south will stand him in good stead tomorrow night – even if the size of the rescue job is far more plausible when he runs out amid the red-hot atmosphere of the Toumba Stadium. The Jambos will face PAOK in Greece trailing 2-1 from last Thursday’s clash and Kent said: “You always draw on previous experiences, no matter where I am or who I’m playing against.

“It just comes with playing the games and the experiences I’ve had. Greece will be different to anything I’ve experienced.

“Some of the boys have played in hostile atmospheres, so I will be taking a gauge from them in terms of European ties. Things can turn very quickly. PAOK are a good team but we know we can go there and hurt them with the way we played. We showed that last Thursday.

“We are disappointed to be behind but it’s only one goal. We can’t go there full of doom and gloom. We’ve got nothing to lose. We will go out full of confidence and see what happens.”

Steven Naismith's side flew out to Thessaloniki on Tuesday with a belief they’re more than capable of clawing back the deficit after Lawrence Shankland’s penalty. That’s despite the odds being stacked against them after PAOK showed in Scotland they are a slick