Takis Fyssas wants to return to Hearts in a new role as Greek explains talks to sign Tynecastle player

Takis Fyssas at 48 remains the same guy he was in his mid-30s: Elegant, polite, and full of absorbing football tales. Whether it’s Benfica, Hearts, Panathinaikos or Euro 2004, you could literally spend all day listening to him without feeling bored. There isn’t time for that on Scottish Cup final week, unfortunately.

He will have a keen eye on events at Hampden Park this weekend in between duties as the Greek Football Federation’s technical director. Hearts’ showpiece end to the season against Rangers is an event Fyssas knows intimately from 2006.

A Scottish Cup winner alongside current manager Robbie Neilson that year, he feels there is serious untapped potential at Tynecastle Park. Not only that, he sees a role for himself in realising it.

Hearts will bank the biggest European jackpot in their history after reaching the cup final and guaranteeing group-stage football on the Continent later this year. It’s not quite enough for Fyssas. He suggests he might be a candidate to help take the club to new levels of accomplishment.

“Robbie is an excellent person,” he says. “He knew he was not a fantastic player. He knew his value so he never wanted to do more than he could. He was very useful for the team and his team-mates. He was also passionate so, as a player, I had great respect for him and I have the same opinion of him as a person.

“In 2015 I was in Edinburgh on a secret mission as technical director of Panathinaikos. I wanted to see a central defender. I cannot say the name now because it’s not appropriate. I was at Tynecastle and I saw Robbie. He was coach of Hearts.

“I was in the dressing room after the game and we spoke about the player I was interested in for Panathinaikos. Of course, we also spoke about all the