Sutton's experience sure to prove invaluable as Hearts await draw fate

For each of the last three seasons, while at Motherwell, Sutton has racked up valuable experience against some tricky overseas opponents - and with some success.

Sutton scored in each of his opening three domestic games for Well after moving from Wycombe Wanderers three years ago, the Englishman on fire going into his European debut at French side AS Nancy.

He was unable to transfer his red-hot league form immediately to the continental stage, starting the first leg and emerging as a 64th minute substitute for the second tie with Motherwell going down 3-0 on aggregate.

Sutton and Motherwell fared better in their next tie, in July 2009, where after a 1-0 home defeat to Welsh minnows Llanelli the Steelmen's talisman hit an early double in the return leg at Parc y Scarlets to ease Scottish fears en route to a 3-1 aggregate victory.

Sutton was less composed in the searing heat of the Albanian city of Vlore, as he missed a penalty against Flamurtari in the next round. Jamie Murphy then stole the limelight from his fellow striker by hitting a hat-trick in an 8-1 win in the return leg, in which Sutton failed to score. Against Steaua Bucharest in the third qualifying round, the 6ft 2ins forward gave his opponents plenty of problems with his aerial threat but could not stop a 6-1 loss over two legs.

Motherwell's fifth-place finish coupled with Dundee United's Scottish Cup win in May 2010 saw Sutton and Co qualify for European competition for a third successive season last term. A slender victory over Icelandic side Breidablik preceded a Sutton-inspired win over Norway's Aalesund.

The striker was unable to add to his strike in that game as Well were defeated by Danish club Odense in the play-off round that followed, but he had begun to make something of a name for himself as an imperious header of the ball in and around the box.

"We had a bit of a mixed bag with Motherwell right enough," reflected Sutton.

"I think whoever you get these days, there are no easy games. At Hearts, we've just got to look at ourselves.

"We did not too badly (against Union Berlin] but we need to pick up and don't want to be losing 3-0.

"I think we've got the ability so that, if we play well, we can beat whoever we play."

The weekend clash in Germany's capital city came too soon for Hearts, says Sutton, to serve as a realistic yardstick for how Hearts will fare in Europe this coming campaign, with the Jambos set to enter the draw for the third qualifying round of the Europa League on Friday. The two legs of that stage of the tournament will take place on July 28 and August 4. A handful of the first-team squad are likely to step up their preparations for competitive action as part of Hearts teams to face Cowdenbeath tonight and Livingston on Saturday, both away from home.

The first team, meanwhile, will contest Sunday's visit of Royal Antwerp to Edinburgh, staged to mark the 125th anniversary of Tynecastle Stadium.

Sutton will hope to use at least one of those games to reinforce his understanding with Stephen Elliott, his likely attacking partner this season - at least until Kevin Kyle returns from injury.

"Hopefully, the longer you stay and play with people, the more you get to know each other's game," he said.

"Playing up front with Stephen Elliott has been good - although he was injured for the Berlin game.

"He seems really easy to play with and has a good footballing brain. People like David Templeton have got fantastic ability. Hopefully, over the course of a season we can link up and do well as a team."

Although Sutton's former club Motherwell have been more regular participants in European competition during recent seasons, the Norwich-born striker's transfer at the end of May to Hearts, a team consistently higher in the final league standings than the Lanarkshire men, is naturally viewed as a step up for the player. There exists varying degrees of status and expectation at each club, and Sutton is determined to prove he can handle the added on-field pressure that accompanies life at Hearts.

He said: "There are certainly very good players here, but the only way we'll prove that is by doing it out on the pitch.

"If Motherwell finish higher than us, obviously they've got a better calibre of player because they've done better than us in the league. But, certainly there's a lot of potential at Hearts and hopefully once the season settles down we'll at least do as well as last season, finishing third, and maybe a little bit better."

Hearts hope to lay the foundations of such a successful season, as described by Sutton, with a positive start to the SPL season, which commences on Saturday week with a trip to meet champions Rangers.

Some observers have opined there is no better time to play the Ibrox side, with their manager Ally McCoist still settling into his new role.

Others argue that a Hearts team that has welcomed no fewer than four potential first-team starters would prefer to ease themselves into the new campaign against the lesser lights of the league.

Either way, Sutton recognises only too clearly the need for him and his team-mates to break into the new season with vigour and fight.

"It's coming really quickly this year," admitted the striker.

"We have a tough start with the Europa League games and Rangers away and we're going to have to pick ourselves up a bit and hit the ground running. I'm sure we have the ability to do that."