Ryan Stevenson relishing chance to aim for the stars of Spurs

IN FOOTBALL, like life, everything is relative and, regardless of who Harry Redknapp decides to put in his Tottenham Hotspur side at Tynecastle tonight, Ryan Stevenson knows that, collectively, the London club will be better than anything he has faced before.

After all, it wasn't so long ago that the Hearts player was scuttling about in the lower leagues, playing for fun rather than finance.

"It's been a good rise for me because 18 months ago I was preparing to play against the likes of Brechin and now I'm playing Tottenham.

"I think that's why we have got to be excited. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? The way I personally look at it, there are so many worse things I could be doing.

I've been part-time, I've seen boys working on building sites - on the news I've seen guys fighting in Afghanistan. We're getting the chance to play against Tottenham."

The news emanating from White Hart Lane has involved a catalogue of injuries to Spurs regulars, and many would view that dilution of the talent as a bonus, but Stevenson isn't running scared.

He's watched enough Super Sundays on Sky to know what the first-choice XI are capable of, he has witnessed Gareth Bale terrorising opponents, but he still would have preferred to have the full complement of stars lining up against him in what he says could, most probably, be the biggest game of his life.

"You see these players on TV, on Sky and you know they're top players and to have the chance of playing against Tottenham does not happen that often for us so you want to play against the best they've got and if the likes of Luka Modric is not playing that's disappointing, but there will be another world-class player coming in. It's a game we're all looking forward to.

"When you're a young kid, it's everyone's dream to play against the best teams in the world. So for that, you've got to be excited, not intimidated. You want to show what a good player you are, what you can do. That's what the manager wants us to do.

"All the players are excited. There's not really any fear. Whatever happens, everyone expects us to lose, anyway. But we know what we can do as a team. We'll see what happens because, once we cross that white line, it's all there for us.

"The atmosphere is going to be incredible. I've had some special times at Tynecastle already in my 18 months (such as] scoring the goal against Rangers when we were chasing the Old Firm. We've had some good derby wins. The atmosphere was incredible for the Paksi game and I'm sure it will be even better for Tottenham."

But the danger is in getting caught up in the occasion, enjoying it for it's own sake rather than seeing it as a means to an end.

They have been warned of the dangers of switching off even for a second.

"The main thing (manager] Paulo (Sergio] has said to us is that, if we're to get anywhere, we all have to play for each other.

"They're a better team than us. They were fifth in the English Premier League, the best league in the world, so it's going to take a team performance, us playing at our very best, just to get something out of the home leg - and the same again to have a chance down there. "We know how big a task it's going to be. But it's one that every single footballer wants."