Exclusive:Hearts defender Jamie McCart reacts to criticism and reveals what Wouter Vrancken said after Sturm Graz loss

“That’s our first taste of European football and how brutal it is.” Jamie McCart doesn’t attempt to sugar-coat Hearts’ Champions League lesson in Graz. The 4-0 defeat to a ruthless Sturm side leaves the Edinburgh club all but out of Europe’s most illustrious club competition. They have safety nets in the Europa League and, if needed, the Conference League, but that is scant consolation after events in Austria.

Criticism of Hearts’ defending was understandably widespread following Tuesday night’s second qualifying round, first leg, at the Liebenauer Stadium. Sturm led 1-0 at the interval before three goals inside the first 14 minutes of the second half killed the tie as a contest. McCart was one of many visiting players who underperformed in head coach Wouter Vrancken’s first match in charge.

The defender responds to flak in typically honest fashion speaking exclusively to the Edinburgh News. He spent most of last season watching from the sidelines as Derek McInnes, Vrancken’s predecessor, guided Hearts to second place in the Premiership. McCart played from the start as the new era got underway in south-east Austria, but it was far from a memorable night.

“It’s tough. You need to try to be patient. Every time you play, you need to try and prove that you should keep the jersey. Tuesday was obviously a tough night for the team and myself. We will try to bounce back and react,” says the 29-year-old. “It was just a difficult. A really difficult night. You’ve got to be strong mentally and look to the next one.

“It does feel like a jolt but I don’t think it has taken away any of the work we did previously, or any of the positivity and enthusiasm that the new manager and his staff have brought to the club. Ultimately, the responsibility falls on us to go and correct that at a sold-out Tynecastle.”

Deficiencies at both ends of the pitch cost Hearts in their first Champions League qualifier for 20 years. “If you don’t take your opportunities, you get punished. Ultimately, two set-pieces have killed us at the first and second goals,” admits McCart. “I thought we played well for spells in the game and showed our qualities but if you aren’t clinical then you will suffer.

“When you are playing a side like that, who are aggressive and work a lot on their set-pieces, then we need to be on our job man-for-man. You’ve got to pick up, you’ve got to talk and you’ve got to win the first contact when the ball comes in. I feel that’s pretty standard for set-plays.

“There is encouragement there that we did create so many chances and a lot of our play was in that final third. Some of those chances we have to convert. That’s down to the whole team. Plenty of boys had opportunities around the box, including myself, and we’ve got to capitalise on them.”

Vrancken was direct and to the point with his players in the away dressing room at full-time. The manager feels the tie is not dead and that Hearts can redeem themselves in Gorgie. If not, they will drop into the Europa League third qualifying round and play the winner of the tie between St Gallen and Benfica. “He was pretty stern and he was pretty honest,” explains McCart.

“He assessed the game and said that if you are not clinical then you get done. Ultimately, in European football, that’s the hardest thing. He said that, going back to Tynecastle, you can’t admit and you can’t say the tie is over. We’ve got to believe in ourselves and we’ve got to come back with a really strong performance.”

The need for character has seldom been greater. Hearts lost the spine of their team at the end of last season and have made eight new signings so far. French midfielder Laurent Mendy should take that tally to nine in the coming days. McCart believes he and his team-mates need to stand up and be counted.

“Yes, 100 per cent. Even more so after a game like Tuesday,” he remarks. “At a club like Hearts, you always need that bit of personality and character. That’s the case even when things are going well because it can change quickly. It’s up to us to get back out there and show, individually and collectively, that we are ready to play for Hearts.”