It’s a market fraught with danger but laden with potential. An environment where one of poker’s golden rules – if you look around the table and you can’t tell who the sucker is, it’s you – most definitely applies.
It says everything about the innate optimism of football fans, however, that the cold, cruel, barren month of January can be enlivened by the merest whisper of a new arrival from some random club in a country that most couldn’t locate with GPS. If every Hibs supporter ever to belt out a Proclaimers song could rhyme off a dozen dud acquisitions who arrived amid fanfare and false promises, hope springs infernal.
They’re not necessarily looking for Mr Right. Just Mr Right Now. A player who can drag them up the table, inject a bit of enthusiasm into the atmosphere at Easter Road, tip the balance in those tight games currently ending in draws or damning defeats. Not much to ask, is it?
You’ll all have your own memories – fond and not so fond – of mid-season signings who made some sort of impact. Here, we look at some of the most interesting characters to have pitched up at Easter Road over the past ten years:
They’re not necessarily looking for Mr Right. Just Mr Right Now. A player who can drag them up the table, inject a bit of enthusiasm into the atmosphere at Easter Road, tip the balance in those tight games currently ending in draws or damning defeats. Not much to ask, is it?
![IMPACT: The former Celtic midfielder had been training alone in public parks for half a season, having been released by Hull City, and hadn’t really played proper first-team football for 10 months when Hibs snapped him up. The Australian international quickly showed his quality.
AND THEN: Left to sign for St Pauli at the end of the season. Currently starting for the Socceroos at the Asian Cup.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjIzMTY4ZDMzLTMzOTYtNDg3Yi04MTM1LWRkMDQwOWZmNTY3MjpjYzNiMzI1OS1kZDk4LTQyOTctYWU5ZC0xY2NkMDYyZTZlZWQ=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
9. Jackson Irvine (January 2021)
IMPACT: The former Celtic midfielder had been training alone in public parks for half a season, having been released by Hull City, and hadn’t really played proper first-team football for 10 months when Hibs snapped him up. The Australian international quickly showed his quality. AND THEN: Left to sign for St Pauli at the end of the season. Currently starting for the Socceroos at the Asian Cup. Photo: Ross Parker - SNS Group
![IMPACT: All energy and enthusiasm, the on-loan Genoa midfielder became a firm favourite with Hibs fans.
AND THEN: Went away, came back again – without same impact – and played for Livi for a couple of seasons. Now playing in Israel, he’s still remembered with affection by a lot of Hibs fans.](https://sttms.blob.core.windows.net/images/RUxNODM0MTE0NTc=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
10. Stephan Omeonga (January 2019 and 2020)
IMPACT: All energy and enthusiasm, the on-loan Genoa midfielder became a firm favourite with Hibs fans. AND THEN: Went away, came back again – without same impact – and played for Livi for a couple of seasons. Now playing in Israel, he’s still remembered with affection by a lot of Hibs fans.