Falkirk FC boss John McGlynn pinpoints factors which could help Bairns topple Hearts in cup

McGlynn, 62, has over a decade of previous history working the Jambos, having first arrived as a coach under Jim Jefferies in 1996 and he was also coach and caretaker manager (twice) during that first spell before later returning as manager in his own right for eight months during the 2012-13 season.

“When you’ve been at a club it’s nice to go and play them again,” McGlynn said. “And it’s nice to play them here, it will maybe give us that little bit more of an advantage on the astroturf.

"It’s a bigger pitch than Tynecastle which we’re obviously used to playing on.

"So I think these things stack in our favour.

"I was at Hearts for quite some time and had a fairly successful period as well.

"We are really looking forward to the game. We respect Hearts enormously, they are an amazing football club with great fans and great individual players and a good management team.

"They finished third last season at a canter basically, by a country mile.

"They’ve made an awful lot of signings. You’d like to think they think that they’re improving the team by doing that.

"And so it is a tough ask but it’s one where hopefully we can put our best foot forward and cause an upset.”