Edinburgh derby 'chaos' a welcome relief from Covid 'carnage' as Hibs ace Cadden targets Hearts victory cure
Top chance maker has simple instructions for new strikers: ‘Get in the box and I’ll find you!’
From the “carnage” of Covid to embracing Edinburgh derby “chaos” at Tynecastle, Nicky Cadden certainly couldn’t complain about life being dull at the moment. Having been laid out by the virus and restricted to a cameo role for Hibs in recent weeks, you’d better believe that the most productive provider of goal-scoring chances in David Gray’s squad is eager to knock Hearts flat on their backs tomorrow night.
The left-sided wide man is guaranteed to start in place of the injured Jordan Obita at wingback after coming off the bench to provide two assists in last week’s home win over Dundee United. He played through a calf injury to create the opener for Hibs in their most recent encounter with Hearts, a 3-2 win at Easter Road that was far more comfortable than the final score suggests.
Cadden injury woes at end
But he limped out of that December 27 victory after just half an hour. And has made just three substitute appearances since.
Reporting that his injury is “all good” now, Cadden admitted: “Obviously I've done my calf and probably shouldn't have played the last derby. But obviously it's a derby game so I'm definitely playing that - and I think the gamble paid off. I created the first goal and then just flared up again and had to make sure it was right this time
“Then I had Covid two weeks ago so I missed the Falkirk game so I was in a pickle - but all good now.
“The Covid? Oh, that was just carnage. Me and my missus, the wee one running about, he's absolutely fine. It’s mental but he just doesn't get affected by it. Me and the wife are lying on the couch like: ‘Urgh …’
“But once I come back and get a swing of things, the training. Your cough’s still there which is a wee bit hard but that's all gone now so all good.”
Wide man’s cross set up Suto winner against Dundee United
Pleased to make a contribution in the win over United, not least in setting up new signing Ante Suto’s late winner with a killer free-kick from the left wing, Cadden is getting used to working with a forward line now without £7 million striker Kieron Bowie – but boasting different sorts of targets in Suto, Dane Scarlett and teenager Owen Elding. He’s keeping them right, certainly, on where they should go when he’s on the ball.
“Yeah, obviously you try to get a wee connection with them in training and just tell them that, when I get the ball, basically just stay in the box,” he said, adding: “Don't come out and try to play the wee one-two because I'm going to try to cross it in there. So just try to get in areas and then I'll try to find you basically.
“Obviously I don't think there's any better debut (for Suto) than scoring a goal in the last minute is there? Yeah, I'm delighted for him and also delighted that it ended up being the winning goal because we needed that win and the two goals we conceded weren't very good - so I'm glad we could make it right.”
Memories of ‘weird’ derby debut in Gorgie
With so many potential new faces vying for game time among the visitors, and at least two or three likely to start in Gorgie, there’s always a risk that nerves become a factor. Cadden, speaking from his own experience as an Edinburgh derby debutant, setting up the winner for Dwight Gayle at Tynecastle on Boxing Day in 2024, insists there is only so much anyone can do to prepare a newbie for the contest.
“I think you need to deal with it as it comes,” he said, adding: “Obviously you can prepare people as much as you can but at the end of the day you just need to see how you feel in your own body.
“Because I remember coming up to our first one and I don't normally get nervous before a game. But that game at Tynecastle especially I was like: ‘Oh this is weird …’
“I don't know, maybe it's just because I'm a Scottish boy and I know what the hype about it is. But then once you start playing you forget about all of that and you feel like this is actually quite good because this is what we played football for when we were younger.
“Yeah, just do what you do and do what you've done for however many years you've been playing football for. So that's how I experienced it anyway - and we’ll see how they do it.
“What should the new boys expect? Chaos. The first 10 minutes, 15 minutes always happens, but just basically enjoy it because they're the times when you're younger you wanted to play football, these are the games you want to play in.
“To be honest I think a derby game just takes care of itself. I think this is just a one-off game where both teams want to win and you'll be doing anything to try to win. Obviously they're sitting at the top of the league at the moment but there's still a lot of football to be played.
““Then on our side, points we've dropped and you're thinking we could be closer up there. But you just don't know what the future holds.
“Nobody would have said at start of the year that Hearts would have been up there. So you just don't know what's going to happen in the next couple of months or even next year.”