GRAEME SOUNESS believes Liverpool will take out their frustration on Hearts in tomorrow night’s Europa League play-off first leg at Tynecastle.

The Anfield legend, who grew up in Edinburgh, expects his boyhood club to be on the receiving end of a backlash from Brendan Rodgers’ men following their opening day league defeat at West Brom.

Hearts qualified for Europe courtesy of winning the Scottish Cup last season but Souness says the Scottish club’s stay in the competition will be brief.

“I just feel Liverpool will have too much quality in too many areas and I think that will decide the tie,” said Souness.

“Hearts would need more than half the Liverpool team to have two off nights to have a chance. There is a gulf between the Premier League in England and the SPL in Scotland right now.

“Although Liverpool aren’t the force they were, they’re still arguably the second biggest club in England. They’re still an enormous club on the world stage so you have to respect their fantastic European pedigree.

“It’ll be a different Liverpool to last year but it’ll still be a very strong Liverpool.

“They certainly still have some good players. And they have one truly great player in Steven Gerrard. He would get into any Liverpool team of the past.

“If Gerrard plays, he’s the one you have to concentrate on. Keep him as far away from goal as possible.

“Andy Carroll can be unplayable if he gets the right sort of service, so you need to stop the ball getting to him.

“There are so many threats, maybe just too many. It’s not just Hearts. If Liverpool were playing any team in Scotland right now, it would be the same.”

Hearts were hammered 5-0 on aggregate by Tottenham at the same stage of last season’s Europa League.

Spurs killed off the tie inside the opening half hour of the first leg at Tynecastle as they raced into a 3-0 lead.

“You want to give your supporters something to shout about and I think Hearts will have learned from last year,” added Souness, who grew up in the Saughton Mains area of Edinburgh but rejected the chance to sign for them as a teenager as he followed his dream to play in England.

“The problem Hearts are faced with is they need to have a go, but have a go in a sensible fashion where they don’t leave themselves exposed.

“That’s the dilemma a smaller team has against a bigger team. You have to try and win the game at home, but when you do that you’re exposing yourself.

“I still believe Anfield is the best place in Britain to play football. That’s an up-side for the Hearts players for the second leg next week.

“England isn’t the most atmospheric place in the world for football but Anfield is something to look forward to.

“Liverpool’s players are used to the big stadiums down here and throughout Europe so Tynecastle isn’t going to hold any fears for them.”