Uche Ikpeazu revealed he needs a break from football to get himself properly fit after a five month lay off earlier in the season was followed by a hamstring injury.
The Hearts striker came off the bench during their Scottish Cup final defeat to Celtic at Hampden after Craig Levein decided to go with Steven MacLean up front.
It appeared to be working until Celtic scored a late winner to deny Hearts the chance of lifting the trophy.
Ikpeazu was visibly dejected at full-time, and will head off for the summer and take a break from football in order to come back in optimum condition next season.
“I don’t feel as though I’ve been right since I came back from my injury,” he said.“Sometimes it’s been about getting through games.
“So for me personally I’m going to have a break and come back in the best physical shape.
“I know when I’m in that shape I can do really well. That’s my own goal. I think it’s the same for the rest of the lads too.
“We’ve had quite a few injuries. If we can have our full strength squad there are no limits to what this group can achieve.
Depsite that, the front man insisted he would have been fit enough to start the final, but that Steven MacLean probably deserved the nod ahead of him.
“I was fit because I was on the bench but the gaffer made the decision,” he explained. “Macca has obviously done well so he chose him.
“I thought he did well and the boys did well. We were just unlucky.”
He hopes to use the hurt he felt at Hampden as motivation to return and claim a winners medal next season.
“I hate losing,” he said. “This hurts and I’m going to use it as my motivation to get back into the final and to win it.
“That’s something I want to do but I’m going to have a break and take my mind off football just now and come back stronger.
“I’m going away for the summer.”
Ikpeazu was the target of Celtic captain Scott Brown’s rather unnecessary provocative on the final whistle. While he did well not to react, he wasn’t up for discussing what happened.
He added: “It’s irrelevant now. It doesn’t matter. They’ve won.”
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