Scottish Cup final: Ryan McGowan enjoys his Hampden triumph

IT was a perfect day for Ryan McGowan. He’d rewarded his father, Jamie, for paying a surprise visit from Australia by becoming a Scottish Cup winner. He’d scored a rare goal in the process. Then, after enjoying the lap of honour, his heart sank. His medal was gone.

Fortunately for him, it had been found amidst all the ticker tape on the Hampden pitch by a steward and it was soon back in the clutches of a relieved Hearts defender. It was probably the only time he’d broken sweat all day, such was the stress-free nature of his side’s triumph.

“I actually lost my medal out on the pitch,” he said, able to raise a smile about the uncomfortable moment, deep in the bowels of the National Stadium afterwards. “It wasn’t until someone asked me for a photograph that I looked down and discovered that it had come off the clip. Luckily enough someone picked it up and gave it back to me. I think a steward found it out on the pitch and handed it over.”

With it safely tucked away in his back pocket, he said the memento would now be going on a long journey to the other side of the world with him. “I’m going back to Australia on holiday and I’ll need to take it over to show my mum,” he added.

Dad Jamie, who hails from Coatbridge, doesn’t have to wait. Without his son knowing anything about it, he arrived in Edinburgh one morning last week from the family home in Adelaide so that he could see the 22-year-old play in the biggest game of his career. It certainly turned out to be a journey worth making.

“My dad gave me a call one morning last week to ask me to pick him up from Edinburgh Airport,” revealed McGowan. “He didn’t tell me he was coming over, so that was a nice surprise. This is the first time he’s seen me play for Hearts and it’s great that it was in the winning team in a Cup Final and I’ve scored as well.

“This is special moment for me and my family as I made a big commitment coming over here when I was younger and I wouldn’t have made that without their support.”

McGowan had scored just once for Hearts before Saturday. That also came against Hibs, in the 3-1 win for Paulo Sergio’s side at Easter Road back in January. He smiled when it was suggested his celebration on this occasion had been akin to a dancing octopus.

“Being a defender I don’t score many goals but, when I do, I go crazy, I guess. It was a set piece we’d worked on in training. I knew that if Rudi [Skacel] got in a shot it would come my way. The keeper got a hand to it and I can’t really put into words how I felt when I scored.

“It’s everything you’ve been working for when you were younger, the whole build-up, the whole occasion. It’s just a massive relief. I wouldn’t say it was an important goal for us but, having just gone 3-1 up, they would have been looking to get right back into the game again. It made us comfortable.”

In terms of international football, McGowan is comfortable at the moment playing for Australia, having been capped by the Socceroos at under-17, under-20 and under-23 level to date. However, both his parents were born in Scotland, making him eligible for Craig Levein’s side, and he said he would give serious consideration to an approach if it was forthcoming at any stage in the future from the former Hearts manager.

“I’ve played all my international football until now for Australia and I want to play for the Socceroos but, if Scotland did come calling, I would consider it,” he added.

Of more pressing concern to McGowan is whether or not Paolo Sergio will still be at Tynecastle for the start of next season. The Portuguese refused to speculate on his own future on Saturday but had endeared himself to the Hearts fans even before he mastermined the club’s third Scottish Cup success in 14 years.

“The manager is a good man and also a good manager. It will be up to him if wants to stay next season,” said McGowan.” I don’t think I could pinpoint one of his main strengths. I just think overall his man management is very good. He’s also good at setting out his team how he wants them to play.

“He’s one of those people who, if he thinks he needs to change something, he’s not afraid to do so. He puts his hand up if he makes a mistake and, all in all, he’s just a very good manager. I think he is serious to you guys but with us he tries to join in with the banter along with the likes of Gary Locke. He’s very approachable.”