UEFA Conference League draw takes place on Friday

Calvin Miller admitted today that he was in complete agony during the final stages of Hearts’ Conference League play-off win against Rapid Vienna. The winger had cramp in both groins and struggled to run during extra-time. He was also hit full-force with the ball in a delicate part of his body, but refused to give in as he became a Tynecastle European hero.

Miller’s acrobatic volley put Hearts 2-1 ahead on the night but the game ended 2-2 after extra-time - and 4-4 on aggregate. He converted a penalty in the dramatic 4-3 shootout victory as the Edinburgh club reached the competition’s league phase for the third time in five years. Miller explained the pain he was in on the pitch, playing multiple positions including central midfield, and why he kept believing. His herculean effort typified 10-man Hearts’ defiance after Tomas Magnusson’s red card.

“It seemed so long, but it was the pitch. The pitch was horrendous,” admitted Miller. “It was genuinely the sandiest pitch I've ever been on. It was so heavy and usually I cramp my calves, but it was my groins this time. It must have just been from a change of direction. Then I had to go and do a job in centre-mid so that was a lot more shuffling and change of direction. Then, when I got hit with a ball down there, that just put me into cramp.

“I was just fatiguing a bit, but at the time I never knew that we didn't have more subs. So I was going: ‘How am I not getting taken off here?’ At one point, I genuinely couldn't move. I'm so thankful that I stayed on and managed to get through and then get a penalty and score as well. It was just the best night of my life so far in football.

“When you see your team-mates digging in, giving everything, you get a real sense of relief when everybody's putting a shift in and you can see it. Being down to ten men, everybody's helping each other. The wingers are helping out the full-backs and the strikers are dropping in. It was just an amazing team performance.

“It was a mental game. In the first half, we weren't great. There was just something not clicking. I don't know if it was a press or... I couldn't really tell you what at half-time, but then the gaffer goes and makes changes and we get right after them in the second half. I thought we were a lot better and then Tom gets sent off. We're going: ‘Oh no, it’s going to be a long night.’ We just kept fighting and the subs made a huge impact.”

Landry Kabore came on to score Hearts’ equaliser at 1-1 before Miller’s stunning volley, but Nenad Cventkovic’s goal for Rapid forced penalties. “I thought Kabo was brilliant when he came on. Really effective, so were the rest of the subs. We just had that fight and belief and we just dug in. We ended up scoring two goals,” said Miller, recalling his own strike.

“Obviously, it's a bit mental when you score. I don't know if it was a minute before the game was actually finished when they equaliser. But then we go and finish on penalties. I had real belief when we were standing there. Even though Oisin [McEntee] missed his penalty, I thought: ‘We're still winning this.’ You just get that instinct and belief, and I had that feeling when Beau saved that [final] penalty. I actually still thought there was another pen to go, so I'm still waiting on the halfway line. Then I've seen the gaffer and Tim [Smolders, assistant coach] all running to Beau.”

Miller stressed he was determined to take a penalty and score. He was first up. “I had cramped two groins, but I was still just like: ‘Stevie, get a massage in there before I go and take it.’ I'm the penalty taker for the team, so it there was no doubt that I was going to take a penalty. I always back myself and that's why I wanted to go first and put it away.”

Celebrations continued inside the Allianz Stadion’s away dressing room. “It was amazing. Everybody up singing and dancing. It was Tim's birthday, so that's a nice birthday for him,” said Miller. “We were singing Just The Way You Are. I don't even know who it’s by but it was class. I really enjoyed that moment and I'm looking forward to these group stages that we're getting into now. It's exciting.”

Before any more European adventures, Hearts return to league business. St Johnstone visit Tynecastle on Saturday and players might still be high on adrenaline from events in the Austrian Capital. “We need to rest and recover properly, so we enjoyed the celebrations in the changing room, but you can't go mental on that on the night. We'll just look forward to Saturday because the league is very important as well for us,” commented Miller.

After leaving Falkirk for Hearts in the summer, the winger was determined to sample European competition and prove himself at that level. He feels he did that in Vienna. Hearts lost to Sturm Graz in the Champions League qualifiers before being eliminated from the Europa League qualfiers against Benfica. Overcoming Rapid prolongs their continental adventure until at least Christmas. It has been a massive few months for Miller.

“I always had belief that I could go and make the next step, and I think with the draws we've been really unlucky in terms of how hard they've been. So to then come to Vienna and get a result is massive credit to everybody at the football club,” he said.