So many positives for Hearts despite final day pain - McInnes

Hearts head coach Derek McInnesSNS

Hearts were minutes away from title success at Celtic Park on Saturday

Derek McInnes believes Heart of Midlothian can use this season as a springboard once they recover from the hurt of the final day.

The Edinburgh side needed to avoid defeat at Celtic Park on Saturday to become champions of Scotland for the first time since 1960 but conceded two late goals in a 3-1 defeat.

Having been top of the table since September, Hearts finished second on 80 points, two behind Celtic.

"In the cold light of day, when we look back, there's been so much positivity from where we were at the beginning of the season," McInnes said after collecting the Scottish Football Writers' Association manager of the year award.

"The intention now is to dust ourselves down and try and enjoy our break but be ready for the challenges ahead.

"I fully believe that those challenges are going to be met, with the enthusiasm from everybody at the club and the desire to improve and make it the norm for us to be challenging for trophies.

"I firmly believe that those expectations will be met as we go on. I think this season has given us so much encouragement.

"For us to reach 80 points, a club record, and be involved in the Champions League qualifiers in July, there are so many positives from the campaign."

It is the first time McInnes has spoken since the gut-wrenching loss as Hearts made a hasty exit from Glasgow following a pitch invasion from home fans.

"We'll look back and enjoy it but we'll also have that kind of grievance at times and that disappointment to try and spur us on to something greater," he added.

"I think you've got a good reference point there in terms of what can be done and obviously it's our job now to try and put a squad together that helps us meet those challenges.

"There will be more expected of us next season and rightly so but I think it will give us even more belief and confidence with what we're doing.

"The team's played with a real attitude to win this season, which has been demonstrated so often, and we have to be that and a wee bit more again if we can go and try and lift silverware."