Hibernian manager John Hughes admitted his side had been taught a "football lesson" by Dutch side Heracles Almelo during their 3-0 friendly defeat.
The Edinburgh outfit lost two goals from set-pieces on Friday night and were outclassed on the possession front by a side who finished sixth in the Eredivisie last season. Hibs have three more friendlies in Holland as they prepare for their Europa League opener against either Hungarian side Videoton or Slovenians Maribor, and Hughes wants his players to learn fast.
Hughes told www.hibernianfc.co.uk: "If I'm totally honest, it was a football lesson. But that can inspire you and make you realise that we've got a lot of hard work."
He added: "The whole point of coming over to Holland and playing against quality teams is that you learn from the experience. It is not going to get easier as the week goes on - trust me on that.
"So it will be a real test of the squad's character to see if they can show the right level of spirit to respond to that.
"But I would love all of the players to take on board the other team's work ethic, attitude and how they passed the ball.
"I think the main difference was how Heracles looked after the ball and the way they passed it with tempo and zip."
Hibs earlier announced that full-back Kevin McCann, who has played just one match in two injury-hit seasons, would join Inverness on loan until January.
Source: PA
