Pressley primed for Hearts reunion

Steven Pressley will be on a number of personal missions when he takes the field for Scotland in tonight's UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifier against Lithuania in Kaunas.

Personal milestone
The Heart of Midlothian FC captain will become the club's most-capped player if selected, although the Lithuanian influence at the Edinburgh side means bragging rights will be uppermost in Pressley's mind when he steps out at the S. Darius & S. Girenas stadium for his 30th international appearance.

Hearts presence
Scotland's second Group B game threatens to be an all-Hearts affair with Pressley expected to line up alongside Craig Gordon and Paul Hartley, while club-mates Saulius Mikoliūnas, Deividas Česnauskis and Marius Žaliūkas should start for Lithuania. Throw in injured striker Edgaras Jankauskas, four other Lithuanian players on Hearts's books, not to mention their Lithuanian coach Valdas Ivanauskas and owner Vladimir Romanov and you can see why so much is at stake.

Extra spice
"One of the most important things about the Lithuania game is the bragging rights in the Hearts dressing room," Pressley told uefa.com. "We have to come back to Tynecastle and see quite a few Lithuanians, so make no mistake, it is very important that myself and the other Scottish boys have the bragging rights come Thursday morning. It certainly adds spice to the game."

Memorable occasion
The match is also likely to mark a significant milestone in Pressley's career. The 32-year-old is set to become Hearts's record cap-holder, having equalled Bobby Walker's 29 appearances in Saturday's 6-0 win against the Faroe Islands. With central defensive partner David Weir poised to earn his 50th cap and a place in Scotland's Hall of Fame, Pressley is anticipating a night to remember.

Dual celebration
"The cap record is something I will be very proud of, if it happens," Pressley said. "Hearts have had some fantastic players down through the years and it's nice to be spoken of in the same breath. David is also set to win his 50th cap which is a wonderful achievement and hopefully Wednesday's game will be a special occasion for him."

On a high
Having tasted defeat against Lithuania during UEFA EURO 2004™ qualification, Pressley is determined to build on Scotland's impressive weekend victory. But with both squads so familiar with each other, he knows Walter Smith's men face a tough task, especially as Lithuania will be on a high following their 1-1 draw with world champions Italy in Naples last Saturday.

Scottish plans
"I played there three years ago when we lost to an unfortunate late penalty, it wasn't an easy game," said Pressley. "They are a very capable side as they demonstrated against Italy at the weekend. That was a great result and will have boosted their confidence ahead of our game. We know it's going to be a real test for us and while a point would be a good result, we are going there looking for all three which would be a tremendous start to our campaign."

Lithuanian lift