'It's up to Scotland as a nation to change the way we play': Celtic, Rangers and rest of league get stark advice from Hearts youngster

An ignominious week for Scottish clubs in Europe, with 14 goals conceded and only two netted in response as Celtic, then Rangers and Hearts were taught another lesson.

Fiorentina's Nicolas Gonzalez, right, celebrates with Luka Jovic after scoring his side's third goal against Hearts on Thursday.

And, those were unquestionably the three best teams in the country last season.

For the Glasgow pair, who are back among the continent’s elite, it has been a scarring experience at times, no more so than at Ibrox on Wednesday, when Rangers were reminded just how big an advantage vastly superior spending power can be, losing 7-1 to Liverpool.

Hearts, like most other clubs in Scotland who perennially trail the wealthier big two, were already acutely aware of that financial factor but, in the UEFA Europa Conference League, against Fiorentina, and their multi-million pound players, they learned there are other gaps that need to be bridged if Scottish clubs are to prosper on the bigger stage.

The Hearts players applaud the travelling fans at full time.

And, according to the Tynecastle club’s young striker Euan Henderson, if Premiership teams don’t implement changes soon, they are going to be left lagging even further behind.

"It's about getting on a learning curve and appreciating just how fast European teams pass the ball and how they move,” said Henderson.

"We need to look at that and admit it's very different from the Scottish game.

"If we can bring some of that back to Scotland then it would help, and if the other clubs look at how a team like Fiorentina play then it would help us a lot back in Scotland.

"We need to change quickly before we fall too far behind. We need to adapt the Scottish game more into the way these European teams play and even how some teams in England play.

"I know it's easier said than done. It's up to Scotland as a nation to change the way we play. But I think it's so important that we adapt to the way football is changing.

"The sooner we do that, the better. Our national team is doing it quite well at the moment, but as soon as club teams in Scotland do that as well then it will help everyone.”

Having lost 3-0 at home to the Serie A side last week, Hearts had hoped to make a better fist of things in Florence. There were mitigating factors, including the ongoing decimation of their defence through injury and suspension, while in midfield and up front key assets are still sidelined, while Hearts remain relatively inexperienced at European level.

There was also the do or die context of the match for the under-pressure Viola which helped focus the minds of a technically-gifted squad while the upright denied Stephen Humprhys a first-minute opener that may have undermined the Italian swagger.

But Henderson, who came on in the 75th minute, says that it would be profligate not to take something from the positives and negatives if they want to improve.

"We can use them in the next two games [they have a home tie against Latvia’s RFS and are then away to Istanbul Basaksehir in their final two Conference League group matches].

"With that experience we have nothing to fear. It's exciting at this stage and the boys have spoken about having a belief in ourselves. We need to use these two games to get on the ball and show what we can do.”