Hearts' Andy Halliday would 'kick my gran never mind Rangers to win Scottish Cup'

Andy Halliday (right) spent five years with Rangers

Andy Halliday says he might kick his own gran if she stood between him and lifting the Scottish Cup with Hearts - never mind boyhood club Rangers.

The 30-year-old admits it is a strange week - going from supporting the Ibrox side as they play in Wednesday's Europa League final to trying to beat them at Hampden Park three days later.

"I'm always competitive and I think, if it was my gran I was playing against on Saturday for the Scottish Cup, she might get a kick or two," the former Rangers midfielder said.

"It certainly doesn't change my focus. I obviously wish Rangers every success going into Wednesday - a remarkable achievement to get into a European final - but, come Saturday at three o'clock, I'm not interested."

Halliday knows he cannot rely on family backing for his cause come the weekend.

"They certainly won't be in the Hearts end, that's for sure, but I don't care," he said. "To bring the Scottish Cup to the club for the first time in a decade would be amazing and, if that means a couple of family members fall out with me, so be it."

Halliday thinks a few team-mates will use the hurt of narrow cup final defeats against Celtic in 2019 and 2020 as motivation, while team-mate Craig Halkett will like himself want to get one over his former club after being released as a 19-year-old.

"I can remember Craig," he said of the centre-half. "He actually trained a couple of times with the first team. He was probably unlucky not to break into the team at that point.

"He's gone away and performed at Livingston, performed since he got here and got into the Scotland squad, so he's had a great season as well personally and he might use some memories from his past to try to drive him on."

Halliday does not think Hearts can bargain on Rangers feeling the effects of Wednesday's game, no matter whether they win or lose against Eintracht Frankfurt in Seville.

"I thought it might impact the semi-final after 120 minutes three days previous and that wasn't the case," he said. "If you don't turn up on these big games, you don't win - it's all about us going into the weekend.

"Of course we are the underdogs, but I don't think that's any benefit to us, because if you don't win a Scottish Cup final, you're still extremely disappointed - there's still pressure on us."

Halliday admits there were a few harsh words after Saturday's "unacceptable" 3-1 home defeat by a shadow Rangers side in their final Scottish Premiership game of the season.

"I don't think we've often let the club down this year, but I think at the weekend against Rangers was certainly one of them," he said. "We know we are going to be facing a very good side and it's going to be difficult, but I think we showed throughout the season we're a good side."

Halliday picked up an Achilles injury during the semi-final win over Hibernian but has taken a pain-killing injection to ensure he is ready for Hampden.

"The only outfield position I've not played this year is striker, so it's been a bit of a surreal season, but I feel like wherever I've played I've not let the club down," he added.

"Leading up to that injury, I was in the starting XI for a number of weeks, felt I was in really good form, scored a few goals and the injury probably didn't come at a great time, but I've no excuses. I've had the injection now and I'm pain free and ready to go at the weekend."

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