Claudio Braga acknowledges that the first time he tasted Tynecastle, his heart rate shot through the roof.

The summer signing now believes that Hearts will see a sharp increase in excitement as well as the new era in Gorgie.

The atmosphere for the Portuguese forward’s debut in Saturday’s 4-1 Premier Sports Cup victory over Dunfermline, which witnessed the start of Derek McInnes’ reign, was incredible.

Braga showed promise on the left side of midfield and is expected to play in Cumbernauld on Tuesday for the second time against Hamilton.

Just over half of Tynecastle was occupied during the Pars’ tour. The stadium will be roaring when the real action starts in two weeks, though, and the former Aalesunds star is excited.

“It was incredible,” he expressed. I thought it was excellent for the warm-up. And the game started off fantastically when I entered.

It’s most likely the most crowd-sized performance I’ve ever done. The heart rate increased somewhat! That was thrilling.

“Now that I’m used to it, hopefully we’ll always have a full house.”

When I played in Portugal’s third division, the stadium in Norway could have 10,000 spectators, but that wasn’t always the case.

Here, the fans and players are very near. I thought Tynecastle was fantastic, but the surroundings are different.

Since McInnes doesn’t think honeymoons last, he has already declared his ambition to win the season’s first trophy.

And Braga, who hasn’t received a significant award in his career, shares that desire for achievement after being inspired by his new teammates at the Spanish preseason camp.

Falkirk humiliated the Jambos, who finished in the bottom six the previous season and lost at the first hurdle in this competition. This is a very excellent quality squad, however, Braga stated.

It seems like it could be a big season. While we were away, we underwent a lot of challenging training. We arrived here with more physical than tactical preparation. But we’re making progress.

“The game and the test are just getting started. Many people have yet to get to know one another.

“I think things could be excellent. I want to improve greatly from the previous year. If nothing else, the top six should be the aim.

To be honest, though, I hope we do much more. Not only win this League Cup, but continue to do well and advance as far as possible in the championship.

Hearts expects to finalize deals with wingers Sabah Kerjota and Pierre Landry Kabore this week, bringing their total number of new players to six.

Derek McInnes

In 41 games during the previous season, the 25-year-old scored 14 goals for Norwegians Aalesunds.

Additionally, he believes that once he understands the physicality of the Scottish game, he may improve even more under McInnes.

He stated: “He’s a wonderful man who can convey the word in an effective manner.

“Hopefully, I’ll be able to work with him more, start playing more, develop as a player, and learn more about how to adjust to Scottish football.”

“He has a lot of experience playing Scottish football. I’ve got a lot to learn.

“Saturday was fantastic, but it was difficult. It was physically demanding, but I expected that. The mood was pleasant.

I have to deal with the physical aspect of it. The experience of playing that type of football is always distinct.

“Now that I’m playing football in the Scottish league, I have to adjust to the new style of play.

“Dunfermline was challenging, but I believe that with a little more gym time, I’ll recover.”

James Wilson and Lawrence Shankland were the first two players Braga used, and both of them scored against Dunfermline. And the potential of 18-year-old Wilson has already astounded him.