These are the games you live for

Matchday One in our UEFA Europa Conference League sees the Turkish outfit come to Gorgie for the opening game in Group A.
 
With the experience of our Europa League tussle with FC Zurich still fresh in the memory, our number nineteen knows what’s required if the boys in maroon are to get their European tour off to the right start.
 
“I’m really excited and I know we’re all looking forward to it,” he told the press in his pre-match media conference. “As players, it’s what you look forward to. It’s one of the main reasons why I came back to Hearts.
 
“(Istanbul) are a good team with some very good players. It’ll be a tough test and we’ll have to be at our best to get the result we want. It’s not going to be easy because we know that there are players there who can hurt us.  We’ve got a game plan that we’re going to stick to. If we do that right, we know we’ve always got a chance.
 
“The Zurich match was my first experience of playing in Europe. The difference between the home and away legs was clear cut. Home games are always about getting the best result possible. Tynecastle, when it’s full and rocking, always gives us a shot at getting a positive result.
 
“You have to be ready for anything from the first whistle. If you switch off, you’ll be punished. We know what we have to do.”

You can catch Alex's full press conference on Hearts TV.