ROBBIE NEILSON can’t wait to take on Celtic again after running the champions so close in Sunday’s Scottish Cup Final, with the Hearts boss desperate to gain promotion and have the Tynecastle club competing against the country’s best teams once again.

Hearts currently sit top of the Championship table and are heavy favourites to earn a place in the top-flight once again next season, with Neilson firmly believing that is where the club belongs.

And he says that he will work tirelessly to ensure that his Hearts side are if the standard required to compete when they do get back to the Premiership.

“I would love to be back in the Premiership to get another four cracks next season, although I would love another crack at them in the Scottish Cup [this season],” Neilson said.

“You have to credit Celtic though because they are a top team. The boys will get a couple of days off but we will go again. We will now prepare for the next game and looking to win that.

“We will pick ourselves up, take the positives from the game and get ready to kick on again.

“I came to Hearts because it is a club I have been associated with for a long time. We are a big club and I want to get them back to the top, playing in big games and finals.

“We got to a final day and we ran Celtic all the way so it shows the progress we have made. We spoke in the dressing room of this being a regular stage. Coming to Hampden for semi-finals and finals.

“This is where a club like Hearts should be. We have to keep doing the best we can to get Hearts back to that level.”