Steven Pressley in Hearts Europa League prediction as he remembers putting bigmouth Braga boss in his place

Steven Pressley remembers shutting down bragging Braga boss Jesualdo Ferreira as Hearts stormed past the Portuguese into the Europa League group stage in 2004.

Eighteen years on and the former Jambos skipper reckons his old side should be targeting a few more high profile KOs as they prepare for their first taste of the groups since that explosive campaign.

Robbie Neilson was a key part of the Hearts side that smashed the Premiera Liga side 5-3 on aggregate having been rubbished by veteran Portuguese boss Ferreira after the first leg 3-1 win in Edinburgh.

Now he’s at the helm of a Jambos outfit who have earned a crack at the Europa League play-off after a season that saw them finish third and reach the Scottish Cup Final.

Should they fail in the play-off round, as they did on their last two attempts against Liverpool a decade ago and Tottenham in 2011, then Hearts have the lucrative safety net of a place in the Conference League group stage.

And Pressley reckons that guaranteed windfall, estimated at a minimum £2.75m, is crucial to helping Neilson build a side capable to making their mark on the continent.

The summer strengthening has already started with the arrival of defender Kye Knowles and Lewis Neilson and winger Alan Forrest.

And Pressley said: “The great thing about the fallback of the Europa Conference League is that guarantee of money.

“That enables Robbie and his recruitment team to make investments now because they know they’ve got that pot of cash.

“Without that then it’s hard to invest and sign good players without concerns of not progressing to recoup what you’ve spent.

“The recruitment is pivotal. They’ve lost John Souttar to Rangers and brought in a couple of defenders who have big shows to fill.