Darren Barr managed to avoid Luis Suarez’s infamous gnashers on European duty with Hearts but reckons the Jambos can sink their teeth in to continental competition this term.
The former Tynecastle defender is delighted his old club are gearing up for Europa League action in a few weeks and it’s brought back memories of his run out against the big guns a decade ago. Barr was part of the Paulo Sergio side who squared up to Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool in the qualifiers – and he was handed a marking job on the Uruguayan toothy terror at set pieces.
The Jambos ran the Reds close over two dramatic legs in 2012, a late Andy Webster own goal giving the Anfield men the lead going back to Merseyside. But David Templeton’s strike, fumbled in by Pepe Reina, late on down south levelled the tie to stun the Kop and ignited dreams of a shock. Unfortunately Suarez gobbled up a winner with a couple of minutes to go but the experience has stuck with Barr and he reckons Robbie Neilson’s class of 2022 should relish their chance of a Euro feast.
The former Jambo – who scored in the 5-1 Scottish Cup win against Hibs a few months earlier – said: “Those matches were great experiences. Brendan Rodgers was in charge and it was a strong team, even if a few of the big names didn’t play in the first leg.
“They maybe believed they could get the job done up here but we were in it for the 180 minutes. We knew we wouldn’t have a lot of the ball but we were will drilled and soaked up a bit of pressure. I remember I was marking Suarez at corners and he was standing on my toes, pulling my shirt, pinching me, everything.
“Thankfully that was before he started biting folk! That was also the first time we saw Raheem Sterling – it was a real eye opener.
“I remember trying to tackle him and he absolutely rinsed me. I thought, ‘oh my god, I can’t get near him’. We were a bit unfortunate in the first leg with the own goal, the crowd gave us some lift at Tynecastle. The atmosphere is always good there but there is something special about a European night, especially against a team like Liverpool.
“Then there was Anfield. It was unbelievable and that’s the kind of thing you remember.”
Hearts gave the Reds a real scare in the second leg despite Rodgers bringing back the big guns – and the big gums.
Barr said: “It was an amazing experience going to Anfield, going out to You’ll Never Walk Alone and all that stuff. I remember thinking, ‘this is what it’s all about’.
“I was playing centre midfield against the likes of Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson, with Suarez up front. We dug deep and hung on – and it was an incredible moment when Temps scored. The dream was on for about three minutes!
“Suarez scored late on but that’s what European football is all about. You want to test
yourself against the best and to compete. We did that and even though we lost, we could hold our heads high.”
Barr is convinced the current Gorgie crop can do themselves proud after qualifying for continental competition for only the second time since 2012. Neilson’s troops will learn their Europa League play-off opponents after the draw on Monday, August 1, with the likes of Partizan Belgrade in the hat.
But the Jambos are all set for Euro action until Christmas with a Europa Conference League group stage spot a consolation.
Barr is thrilled the big Euro nights are back at Tynecastle and he reckons his old club can cause a stir this season.
He said: “It will be a great experience for them. The club have had some tough times but this is the reward for the fans.
“They are in Europe until Christmas and there could be some huge ties in the Europa League or the Conference.
“You are sometimes torn with the first draw, do you want a top side or an easier draw, but the way it’s set up it’s a win-win for Hearts. It can only be good for the club in terms of the prestige and the finances. Fans will love it and as players, you can only improve against technical sides.
“Robbie has done a brilliant job and last year was superb in their first year back up.
“Hopefully they can kick on again and Europe can help that. It will be tough with the schedule but they can take a lot of confidence and momentum from the campaign.
“They will also be wondering how far they can go. We’ve seen other teams from other countries doing well, you look at Bodo/Glimt who beat Roma and Celtic last season, and you never know.
“The good thing is Hearts have good foundations in place and you’d be confident they can make European football a regular occurrence for the next few seasons.”
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