Steven Naismith draws on Rangers Euro away day at Barcelona as Hearts continental blueprint

Steven Naismith didn’t have a shred of fear as he made a Champions League debut in the Nou Camp.

The Hearts boss wants his troops to adopt exactly the same approach when they hit Europe’s group stages. But Naismith is also aware the gruelling schedule is going to place big demands onto his unit. And the Tynecastle gaffer says the major task next term isn’t to increase a challenge on the Old Firm, but to cement their current status in Scotland through the continental challenges to maintain positive progression in Gorgie.

Naismith knows Europe is both a mental and physical test. But, looking back to his own playing experiences, he references facing Lionel Messi and Barcelona with Rangers 17 years ago and stated: “In terms of the belief, going into every game, I was like: What’s the worst that could happen? That’s probably the root of what gave me my success. I was up for everything.

“My first Champions League game was Barcelona away at a time when they were the best team in the world, and some are saying maybe in the history of the game. I never went into it thinking I was worried. I saw the opportunity in it and that’s the same way I have been as a coach. And then, going forward, if we’re playing European teams, it will be the same there.

“I found it hard [playing] at the start. When you’re a young player and you have not experienced it before, it’s full on. When you look back, you realise that. But you’re either a player that thrives on it and has that mentality that pushes you over the edge and makes you able to deal with it, or you’re not.

“When I was at Rangers there were quite a few of us who came in at the same time and experienced European football for the first time. And we dealt with it well, eventually. But