Peter paid a huge price after missing out on that medal

Midfielder Peter Haring celebrates Hearts taking the lead in last year’s Cup Final

Peter Haring coming off with nine minutes to play in the 2019 Scottish Cup Final put paid to Hearts’ hopes of hanging on against Celtic.

But his efforts until that substitution cost the Austrian far more than just a winner’s medal.

Haring hadn’t featured since the semi-final victory over Inverness in April but decided to give it a go at Hampden. Craig Levein admits regret over colluding with Haring to play after many weeks trying to manage a pelvic problem.

For Haring aggravated the injury, then was forced to miss the entirety of 2019/20 in which Hearts hurtled towards the bottom of the Premiership and, ultimately, the Championship by vote. Levein explained: “Peter was really toiling, not training a lot. Getting to the bottom of it wasn’t easy.

“It dragged on, he played games, was feeling it, taking injections and performing at a good level.

“We gave him a fairly lengthy period of rest with a view to getting him back for Hampden.

“I discussed it with him that, if we could get to a level where he was capable of playing, would he be keen?

“He’s such a great boy that he said: ‘Whatever I need to do, I’ll do it to be in the team’.

“Little did we know he wouldn’t be back on the field a year later. And, seriously, the longer that went on I thought: ‘That was a stupid decision’.

“If we’d won the Final, then been out a period of time then it might have been justified to some degree.

“But to not get a winner’s medal and then have a whole year of his playing career lost was just a real shame.

“So I am thrilled that he’s back. I’ve been keeping in touch with him on a fairly-regular basis.”

Haring was a major miss for Levein, then Daniel Stendel, last term. The 27-year-old has recovered to feature regularly for Robbie Neilson.

A return to the form of his first Hearts campaign would be a boost to the chances of a shock next weekend.

Before being replaced by Oliver Bozanic on 81 minutes, Haring was excellent and Hearts were clinging to 1-1 in the 2019 final. Odsonne Edouard then exposed the space to profit from Haring’s absence and net the winner.

Levein said: “I’ve only watched the game back once. Peter was our best player and, with his presence in midfield, Celtic had very few chances.

“So much of that was down to him, how he organised. He was so strong and aggressive and managed to repel the best of their attacks that came through the middle. For him to come out was a huge loss.”