Aiden Denholm realised Hearts dream in Rosenborg triumph but admits red card worry that could have made it a nightmare
dailyrecord.co.ukEuropean football under the Tynecastle lights and a last-ditch tackle which could have landed Aidan Denholm in heaps of trouble.One first-half flashpoint for the Hearts teenager who escaped punishment on a fairytale night could have been the metaphor for a career rescue job which brought tears of joy against Rosenborg from his grandfather Bobby.
It was far cry from the secret heartache for Denholm last season who watched games from the stands despite knowing the Dear John letter being in the post at the club he’s played for since nine-years-old.Fast forward a few months and the midfielder’s ferocious challenge on Norwegian Emil Frederiksen which would have aroused an intervention from VAR and a probable red card to go with it.
It’s those small margins and twists of fate which Denholm admits to have gone in his favour which now has him looking forward to a trip to Greece and a Europa Conference League play-off clash against PAOK which he would never have thought possible as the 19-year-old put the seal on a career transformation.He said: “How does the win over Rosenborg rate?
It’s the best. I would never have dreamed I would be playing in a big European night here so when you get that chance, you’ve just got to try to take it.
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