Euro trash talk begins between Hearts stars

JESTING has already begun at Riccarton ahead of Scotland's visit to Lithuania on European Championship qualifying duty.

The match between the two nations in Kaunas does not take place for another eight days but Hearts' Scottish and Lithuanian contingents have started verbal warfare early.

"There is very much confidence in Lithuania, I don't really know why," said Arvydas Novikovas, who who has been named in his country's under-21 squad to face Denmark on 3 September and England four days later.

"I think we think we must win. All the time Marius Zaliukas and me are joking with the Scottish players, we say that Spain will win the group but Lithuania will be fighting Czech Republic for second place.

"The Scottish guys don't think so but we joke about it."

The Group I encounter will bring together a host of familiar faces who have passed through Tynecastle in recent seasons. Deividas Cesnauskis, Saulius Mikoliunas, Ricardas Beniusis, Andrius Velicka, Linas Pilibaitis, Kestutis Ivaskevicius and Vytautas Luksa are all named in the Lithuania squad alongside Zaliukas.

Novikovas remembers well the days of regular arrivals from his homeland, although he is content having Zaliukas as his sole compatriot in the first-team squad.

"When I came here there were maybe six Lithuanians but I was with the under-19s training, not with the first team," he recalled.

"Now it is very good for me because Marius is the captain. That is good for me and that gives me more confidence. He has been good at helping me settle into the team and I hope he will sign a new contract. I have said he must do this."

Novikovas scored his first senior Hearts goal against Elgin City in Tuesday's 4-0 Co-operative Cup victory but knows he faces competition for his favoured left-sided position.

"It is always nice to score your first and to open my goals account and now I just need to keep going and score goals more," he said.

"We all played well. We did everything the gaffer said and just passed the ball rather than just going long. We kept passing and did well.

"In my position, I have Andy Driver - who is now injured but will start training again soon - Templeton, Suso, a lot of competition.

"So I must work hard. But I am enjoying it and the manager has given me a chance to play and if someone is injured he gives me the chance straight away.

"The manager has said this could be my season and if I play good then he will always give me a chance.

"I must score goals and play good all the time to stay in the team."