Stuart Findlay admits Hearts have not fully moved on from last season's missed title opportunity.
The defender shared that the disappointment of losing out to Celtic still lingers as the team readies for their Champions League campaign.
He said: "You don’t have to tell me how disappointing last year was. I’d be lying if I said I’m completely over it. That’s not the case.
"Sometimes you lie in your bed and think about that day at Celtic."
However, the 30-year-old is optimistic about the impact a strong run in Europe could have.
He said: "When you look at the teams we could have got, and who we could get if we win this one, you realise your achievements put you alongside some top clubs across Europe.
"But I’m hoping once the season kicks off with these games that in the future we’ll look at how successful we were last year, how incredible a run it was.
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"We’re rewarded with these massive games. Hearts fans want to be watching their team in this competition."
Hearts face Sturm Graz in the second qualifying round first leg on Tuesday night after a summer of significant changes. Derek McInnes, Lawrence Shankland, and Cammy Devlin all joined Rangers, with Craig Halkett also out due to injury.
Despite the reshaped core, Findlay is confident in the new arrivals. He said, "I’d be lying too if I said we didn’t feel the loss of the players who have left.
"But you trust the system at Hearts that the players coming in will be able to do a job replacing these guys."
A 2-1 friendly win over Rayo Vallecano has provided hope under the new leadership of Wouter Vrancken.
Findlay added, "The manager's been first class."
