Hearts manager Robbie Neilson is "devastated" by the death of Marius Zaliukas as he hailed his players for delivering a fitting tribute.
The Scottish Cup winning captain passed away on Saturday at the age of just 36 after a battle with illnesss.
He's revered by the Hearts support after captaining them to a 5-1 cup final win over Hibs in 2012, and the news broke in the middle of the Edinburgh Derby.
Liam Boyce's penalty sent the Jambos to the final and his manager feels that was the best possible tribute.
Neilson told Premier Sports: "I'm absolutely devastated to be honest with you.
"I found out right before the game, they players didn't know and only found out after the game.
"We send our condolences out to his family. I know Marius very well, I was here for a number of years with him.
"It's fitting that we've managed to beat Hibs at Hampden, when you think about Marius as a Hearts player it's that 5-1 game and the cup that was the poignant moment.
"So hopefully we can give his family some sort of comfort today."
