Liam Boyce hungry for Hearts glory in Europe as comeback king looks to get rid of bittersweet taste

Liam Boyce got a taste of the big European nights at Tynecastle last season – but it was bittersweet being stuck up in the stands.

The fit-again frontman is determined to make the most of his crack at continental competition this time around and he can sense something special brewing this week. Hearts will need to go out all guns blazing on Thursday as they look to tap into the Gorgie power grid and overturn last week’s Europa Conference first leg 2-1 loss to Rosenborg in Norway. And Boyce is itching to play his part after negotiation the long road back from a brutal cruciate injury.

The hitman said: “That's what I want more than anything now. For me that was the hardest thing about last year. When you’re watching the league games you know that you’re ages away, but you don't get the chance to play in European group stages that much so we need to realise what an opportunity it is. I definitely want to get back in because I didn't get the chance last year. Could it be a big European night? One hundred percent. That’s what I missed last year.

"We won two games out of the six but every game you could feel the atmosphere build all day and the night time games - that's my favourite time to play – the atmosphere was unbelievable and we will need that again to help us through.

“Even a big tackle or something like that gets everyone going and that’s the moments you love because you hear the fans and that gives you an extra boost. We just need a lot of those moments and need to make sure we get into the right areas to take advantage.”

Boyce has the big game buzz – and he knows Thursday is going to hinge on big moments. The Northern Irish ace sat out the group stages but was involved in the Europa League play-off showdown with