Atkinson ready for Rangers in Scottish Cup Final

Nathaniel Atkinson will attempt to become the latest Socceroo to win the Scottish Cup on Saturday night (12.00am AEST) when his Jambos side take on Rangers at Hampden Park.

The defender recently made his Socceroos debut against Saudi Arabia and will look to bring the curtain down on his domestic season with a trophy, after making 19 appearances for Hearts in all competitions since joining mid-season from Melbourne City.

If Hearts can overcome the Old Firm favourites, Atkinson will join a long line of Aussies to previously lift the Scottish Cup including Tom Rogic, Martin Boyle, Ryan McGowan, Craig Moore, Kevin Muscat and Tony Vidmar.

“It’s exciting to be fair,” said Atkinson.

“When you’ve got a final coming up, everyone’s excited to come in to training and put their foot forward to try get into the starting line-up but yeah, all the boys are ecstatic, and we can’t wait.

“The fans here, they’re crazy about the club and obviously when you hear the team get into a final, everyone wants to get a ticket.

“I think the tickets sold out in a bit over a couple of hours.”

The Gorgie side’s last piece of silverware came in 2012 when fellow Aussie Ryan McGowan scored at Hampden Park in a 5-1 win over Edinburgh rivals Hibernian.

Atkinson, who linked up with compatriot and Olyroo Cameron Devlin at Tynecastle during the January transfer window, is desperate to bring home a first piece of silverware in a decade for the Jam Tarts.

“The fans here know everything about the club, they always remind you about the history.

“And for a club as historic as this, we’ve got big ambitions and obviously we’ve gone into Europe this year as well.

“And I think to build on that and to get closer to the Old Firm, these are the games that you want to hopefully get one on them, and just building the stepping stones to get closer to that.

“Every game against the Old Firm is big and obviously when it’s a final like this, you want to die on the pitch and leave everything out there.”