Ex-Hibs ace Dean Shiels backs league reconstruction after recalling playing same team SEVEN times during Easter Road days

FORMER Hibs forward Dean Shiels believes league reconstruction is needed in Scotland after recalling playing the same team SEVEN times in one season during his Easter Road days.

The Northern Irishman made over 100 appearances and scored 24 goals during a five-year spell with the Hibees before departing for Doncaster Rovers in 2009. He returned to Scotland to sign for Kilmarnock before moving to Rangers, spending four years at Ibrox as the club moved back up the divisions.

After a short stint in Canada he later turned out for Dunfermline Athletic before finishing his playing career in the League of Ireland with Derry City and Coleraine.

Looking back, the former Northern Ireland international admits he found the repetitive nature of fixtures in the Scottish leagues monotonous.

Speaking to the Glasgow Times, Shiels said: “Scotland is not a healthy country football wise at the minute and that’s why I think there has to be a change.

“I think they missed a trick a couple of years back when they had the option to reconstruct the league. I think now they have maybe got that opportunity again to reconstruct the league set-up a little bit.

“I played one season in the Championship towards the end of my career and I know there are some really good clubs in that league. The club I was at Dunfermline, they were an excellent well run team who have a brilliant chairman in Ross McArthur.

“There are a lot of clubs in that league who are just as equal in terms of stature to the likes of Hamilton, St Mirren and Ross County. There’s no difference between the clubs in the lower half of the Premiership and those who are challenging in the Championship.

“The Premiership for me at the minute gets a bit repetitive. I think there was one time when I was at Hibs and we played Aberdeen seven times in the one season. We drew them in the cup and had replays.

“You were going up against your opponent and you would be like ‘not you again this is just so boring’.

“So I think they definitely need to extend the league, but whether they do it is anyone’s guess. There are good people on the SPFL board and I think they will realise that there is a chance to do something here.

“The priority has to be that people’s lives are at risk at the moment and people are being affected all over the world, but I think the most important thing for Scottish football is that they use downtime to try and reconstruct.”

Now aged 35 and retired from playing, Shiels is currently completing his coaching badges in a bid to follow his father, Kenny, the former Kilmarnock and Morton boss, into management.

He added: “I definitely want to manage in Scotland. Obviously I spent the majority of my career over there and I have a lot of friends there.

“I know the leagues and I know what it takes to win in those leagues, but I understand it isn’t just as easy as turning the tap from a player and going straight into management.

“My dad has had a great career and great experiences in the game so he’s good to speak to about those things and there’s other people who I have played with in the past who I still keep in contact with.”