FIT-AGAIN Guillaume Beuzelin revealed today that he's determined to make up for lost time and help Hibs' push for UEFA Cup qualification over the finishing line.
The Frenchman was sidelined for six weeks with a knee problem but made his long awaited return in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Dundee United at Tannadice.
The fans' favourite lasted the full 90 minutes as the Hibees cut the gap on third-place Motherwell
to a solitary point albeit the Fir Park outfit still have two games in hand.
With four games remaining for the Leith side and a meeting with Motherwell at Easter Road on the final day of the season, the three-way battle for a place in Europe looks like going down to the wire. And while Beuzelin was frustrated to sit out six matches as the race heated up, he insists that he's desperate to have a say in the run-in now he's fully recovered.
"It was good to be back on the pitch although it's a shame that it wasn't a great game," said Beuzelin.
"I was a little tired towards the end but the main thing for me was to be back playing again. It was very frustrating being out injured and I am not somebody that likes watching matches because I would much rather be out there playing.
"I'm happy that my team-mates managed to keep results good and that by the time I came back we are still in with a good chance of making it into third place.
"Every game from now until the end of the season is very important and I really want to do everything I can to help the team have a good end to the season.
"It's difficult to say how many points we will need to get to finish third because Motherwell have two games in hand and I think the main thing is that we stay close to them before the final game against them at Easter Road as it would be brilliant to qualify on the final day. It will be a crucial game.
"All we can do is look after ourselves and then see where that takes us."
Sunday's share of the spoils at Tannadice was probably most warmly welcomed in Lanarkshire with the result meaning that neither Hibs or United could draw level on points with Mark McGhee's men.
And while former Le Havre star Beuzelin conceded that a draw was not what he and his team-mates had been hoping for prior to the clash, he was adamant that there is no need for anyone associated with the Leith club to be downbeat about the result.
"To get a point in Dundee is never easy but we are happy overall," said the midfielder.
"There is maybe a little bit of frustration because we had some chances to score at the end but a point is not bad for us. It's true though that it was definitely a better result for Motherwell than us or Dundee United and that puts a bit more pressure on us.
"We still believe that we can get third because we are playing very well just now and have been for a while. We are getting results when it matters.
"I think the problem for us is that we had a bad spell in December and the start of January when we lost a lot of games and a lot of points.
"That has made it hard for us but we've had a great comeback and nothing is finished yet. It would be great to finish third.
"I think the gaffer has given all the players a lot of confidence which wasn't there when the last manager left. There is a new spirit in the squad which is important. I think we are more solid now but we have to prove that by finishing in third place."
Beuzelin was a member of the Hibs squad that last qualified for Europe when they faced Dnipro a couple of seasons ago.
Although the Easter Road side's participation proved to be short-lived as they were comfortably dispatched 5-1 by their Ukrainian opponents he believes it was an experience which benefited everyone on the club's books at the time.
Whether Beuzelin is at Hibs to experience European football next season should Hibs qualify, remains to be seen with the Frenchman refusing to speak about his own future. However, with so many youngsters making up an integral part of the current squad, Beuzelin is confident that a crack at European competition would further aid their development.
"Playing in Europe is something different, something very exciting for the players and for the fans," he said. "We were in Europe two years ago and although we only played two matches it was still great to be involved in those games. It's good for all players but especially younger players as it shows them a different type of football and I think they can improve by playing in games. We already have some very good young players but I think playing in Europe can make them even better."
This weekend manager Mixu Paatelainen, pictured, leads his side north to face Aberdeen at Pittodrie knowing that his players must defeat the Dons if they are to realise their European dreams.
And Beuzelin admitted that Hibs are facing four cup finals between now and the end of the campaign as they bid to book a place in the UEFA Cup next season.
"All of our games are big, big games from now on. We need to get a result in Aberdeen this weekend if we want to try and get third place," he said.
"All the players need to work very hard this week and make sure that we are ready for a big game. We have to make sure we take something from every game.
"We have two games against the Old Firm as well and to put pressure on Dundee United and Motherwell we need to make sure we take as many points as we can in the games we have left."
The full article contains 1029 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
