Hibernian V Motherwell - Saturday 27th February 2021 by hibernianfootballclub

vs MOTHERWELL | 27/02/21

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The Changing Room uses the power of football to bring men together to unite and tackle mental health and wellbeing. By promoting men’s mental health through the beautiful game, The Changing Room’s 12 week course has helped Hibernian supporters across Edinburgh and beyond to manage their own mental health. The changing room is funded by the Movember Foundation, and is delivered in partnership by SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health), Hibernian Football Club and SPFL Trust. If you want to learn more about The Changing Room, please contact thechangingroom@samh.org.uk

CONTENTS

vs MOTHERWELL | 27/02/21

HIBERNIAN O F F I C I A L

M ATC H DAY

P R O G R A M M E

04 | LOOKING BACK 05 | TODAY’S MASCOTS 06 | THE BIG INTERVIEW

2 0 / 2 1

JACKSON

IRVINE

16 | PLAYER SPONSORSHIP 18 | OPPOSITION 35 | FIXTURES & RESULTS

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JAMES LAI N G

OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGR AMME

LOOKING BACK

HIBERNIAN v HAMILTON EASTER ROAD STADIUM 20/02/21

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TODAY’S MASCOTS vs MOTHERWELL | 27/02/21

Samuel PICCIN

Lewis James Watt

Age:

Favourite Player:

MARTIN BOYLE

Ruben BAXTER

Erin CRAWFORD

Age:

CAVEN

Favourite Player: SCOTT ALL AN

LEWIS STEVENSON & R ACHAEL BOYLE

Poppy HIGHWAY

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Age:

Favourite Player:

MARTIN BOYLE

SCOTT ALL AN

Max SALTMAN

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Age:

Favourite Player:

Favourite Player: CHRISTIAN DOIDGE

Favourite Player:

Kian MCGEE

Kayden DUNCAN

Age:

MARTIN BOYLE

Favourite Player: Favourite Player: MARTIN BOYLE

DAR R E N MCGR E G O R & MART IN BOY LE

OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGR AMME

THE BIG INTERVIEW

JACKSON IRVINE

SPONSORED BY

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The plea went out so often it became something of a Hibernian transfer window tradition.

Come January or the summer, you could set your watch to supporters on social media or the forums clamouring for Hibs to sign Jackson Irvine. For good reason, too. In the Australian midfielder’s short time at Easter Road, he’s shown exactly why he’s been so highly thought of for years and it’s fair to say the love-in is mutual. It seems to have been a natural fit for you here, Jackson. What

do you put that down to? It’s been a really smooth transition for me after a spell out of the game. I had a strong feeling it would be like that after some initial conversations with Graeme Mathie and the gaffer. We just seemed to click, and I thought it would be a good fit. We had the same views on what I could bring to the team. It helps that I’ve played in the league before and I know how competitive the game is up here. I knew a few of the boys so it all adds up. You were thrown straight in. Every new signing says the same things about being raring to go

OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGR AMME

but, given you hadn’t kicked a ball in months, how did you really feel? It was a bit of a shock to the system in the first week back. I wasn’t expecting to play so quickly, and I’ve been lucky enough to start every game since. I’ve really been able to hit the ground running. That’s down to how I kept myself fit and ready in my time away from the game. I couldn’t have done that without the help and support of the people that helped me with my fitness programmes, from the Australian national team and guys that I knew through Hull City. I genuinely feel like I’ve got stronger with each passing game and I hope that continues for the rest of the season. Putting in the work across the lockdown was easier said than done. How did you approach it? The mental side of it is massive. That was the hardest thing. When you have your programme you can coast through it. We’re professional athletes and fit to a certain level. But you have to be mentally prepared to push yourself when you’re on your own. There’s noone to yell at you. It’s just you and a clock. My partner was as helpful as anyone in encouraging me during some difficult stages. It also makes you realise how fortunate we are as footballers to have instant access to kit at training grounds. I’ve been in the game since I was 16 and it never occurred to me that I didn’t even own a football. I found myself borrowing a ball and some cones from a friend who coaches a local football team. Hull City’s loss was obviously our gain, but what do you put your extended spell without a club down to? It was difficult and probably down to a few different things. There was a bit of bad timing and luck along the way in terms of some opportunities. The management of my own situation was probably mishandled at times. It was my decision in the end, and I’m pleased I took the steps I did. I couldn’t be happier that Hibs gave me the opportunity to come here. I’ve loved every second of my time at the club. We have a lot of talented players in the middle of the pitch, and a real blend of specialities. You’re arguably the best all-rounder. How have you found settling in in that respect? To be honest, the level of midfielder here was one of the things

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“

I LOOKED UP TO GUYS LIKE PATRICK VIERA AND FRANK LAMPARD

“

H I B E R N I A N FO OT B A LL C LU B

that struck me during my initial chats with Graeme and the gaffer. Obviously, I know the players here. There’s a lot of diversity in midfield in terms of the strengths and weaknesses. The part of the conversation that sealed it for me was around what I could bring that would help get the best out of the people around me and vice versa. It just made sense. I like to think that I added to my game when I was in England and I maybe offer that presence or leadership qualities now. I feel like I’ve helped others show their best qualities. Do you see yourself as a box-to-box midfielder? For a while that seemed to be a dying art. Absolutely. That’s my game. I like to try and be effective at both ends of the pitch – to break up play and get into the box. The midfield battle is important, no matter what level you’re playing at, and I love everything about it. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, that type of player was probably very fashionable, and I looked up to guys like Patrick Vieira and Frank Lampard, who were up and down a lot more than you maybe tend to see nowadays. There’s maybe been a slight resurgence recently and I really like Tomas Soucek at West Ham. I think he’s excellent. Yaya Toure was probably the ultimate example. In his prime he was unstoppable. He was too powerful and too technical to stop in full flow. The Australian Institute of Sport seems to be have been the starting point for a fair few careers but you went down a different path? I was actually passed over for it. There was a very select pathway into football in Australia and I missed the cut a few times in my early years. It probably ended up being the best thing for me as it pushed me into senior football at an earlier age. I was playing firstteam football in Melbourne at 15 and that was where I got the opportunity to come across and train with Celtic. I took a different path, but it worked for me. I don’t think I ever really saw it as rejection at the time. I was so single-minded about making it and doing what I wanted to do. I remember having a conversation with a coach when I was 15 and at an Under-21 side. I called him myself to find out what I had to do to play more. I just wanted to play. I had no interest in just making up the numbers. I actually dropped down a league just to make sure that happened. Ultimately, I think that’s what pushed me on. A lot of players might be content with making up the numbers HIBERNIANFC.CO.UK 10

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within the youth ranks at Celtic, such is the high profile of the club. But your early loans to Kilmarnock and Ross County seem to set you apart from them. I nearly went out a year earlier, to Ayr United. I was playing for the Under-19s and they came in for me. They had an injury crisis and wanted me on an emergency loan. I’m sure they’d drawn Hibs in the cup during that month. It sounded amazing and I wanted to go, but we had a Youth Cup quarter-final and I don’t think Celtic wanted me to miss that. I just wanted to go and play. I trained with the first team during the next pre-season – one of the games was against Liverpool – but I had Victor Wanyama, Scott Brown, Joe Ledley and Beram Kayal ahead of me. All international midfielders. I knew my opportunities would be few and far between, so I jumped at the loan to Kilmarnock. I was lucky to go straight in at the deep end with a Premiership team. The national team is clearly something that also means a lot to

you. How frustrating has the covid-enforced break been in that regard? It’s been hard. The only upside has been that I didn’t miss any games when I was without a club because the national team’s gone so long without a game. I’ve been involved for four or five years now and played 34 times for them, so I feel like I’ve made my mark. Hopefully, I’ll get the chance to play in the games that are still scheduled to be played at the end of the March, on the road to what we hope will be another World Cup. You didn’t speak to him before signing but you told us you hold former Hibee Mark Milligan in high regard? He’s, for me, the most under-rated player in the last five or six years in the Australian national team. He’s one of the best I’ve ever worked with. He had passport issues in his younger days that stopped him moving to Europe earlier. He’s a class act – technically so good and a natural leader. We can sometimes be guilty of dwelling too much on Martin Boyle’s ‘personality’. What’s he like when he’s away with Australia? We all know what he’s like! He brings such a lot to the dressing room and fire to the team. He’s not exactly the same when he’s away. For one thing, he tones down the accent a bit because, otherwise, no-one would have a clue what he’s saying. I can imagine him trying on a fake Crocodile Dundee-style Australian accent but, thankfully, it’s not got to that stage yet. Finally, you’ve put yourselves in a strong position to have a really exciting end to the season. The form we’ve shown in the last month has given us the opportunity to get that third spot and give us a chance of retaining it. That feeling is there, within the squad, when you start to get the sense that something could happen. Going into every game there’s no complacency. The boys are bang at it just now and that winning mentality is so key. The experienced players drive that and there can’t be any let-up.

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THE OPPOSITION

MOTHERWELL

They may only be four points from the foot of the Scottish Premiership, but you won’t find anyone within Easter Road taking Motherwell lightly today. The Steelmen have had a campaign to forget by their own recent standards, but have a new manager in Graham Alexander who is determined to drag them up the table. With two of their back four regular starters for Scotland, there’s enough talent in the team to suggest the recent run is a blip rather than a trend. M A NAGER

GRAHAM ALEXANDER Graham Alexander became the 25th man to sit in the Fir Park hot-seat in January when he succeeded Stephen Robinson, who called time on his own successful stint in the dugout. Alexander earned real respect in his playing days – not least for his 40 appearances in the dark blue of Scotland. A previous captain of both Preston North End and Burnley, he earned his stripes on the touchline by taking charge of Fleetwood Town, Scunthorpe United and Salford City.

C AP TA IN

DECLAN GALLAGHER Motherwell’s skipper, Declan Gallagher, hoped to be in contention to feature today after a recent stint on the treatment table. There is no doubt his influence in the heart of defence has been missed. Gallagher took the armband from Peter Hartley at the start of the season, with his star on the rise as a member of the Scotland squad who have qualified for this summer’s European Championships.

K E Y PL AY ER

TONY WATT Scotland cap Tony Watt has had 12 clubs in a colourful career, but looks to have finally found a home at Fir Park. Handed the captain’s armband for last week’s head-to-head with St Johnstone, Watt has become a fan favourite for his all-action displays. In return, he says he’s as happy as he’s ever been in the game – since starting out as an indemand prospect at Airdrie Utd. He’ll be one to watch this afternoon. 18

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L AS T MEETIN G

MOTH ERWE LL 0 -3 H I B E R NI A N

05/ 1 2/ 20

Hibernian ran out deserved 3-0 winners at Fir Park, but could count their blessings after Motherwell’s ‘opener’ was ruled out. Mark O’Hara was adjudged to have pushed Lewis Stevenson in the build-up to Bevis Mugabi’s header and The Hibees took full advantage. Second-half strikes from Martin Boyle, Christian Doidge and Stephen McGinn put the hosts to bed in the end as we moved to third in the table.

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