Hampden reunion for Hibs gaffer and Hearts goalie as title winners meet amid 'love the guy to bits' admission
Premier Sports semi-final pits Hibs against Hearts in classic derby clash
Hibs boss Marink Reedijk admits he’s looking forward an emotional reunion with one of the Hearts players standing between him and a first cup final. But the Easter Road gaffer insists his “love” for Gorgie goalie Beau Reus will be dimmed by a desire to beat his former player in Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final at Hampden.
Reus was Reedijk’s No. 1 as SK Beveren won the Belgian second tier title in unprecedented style last season, going undefeated for the entire campaign. The Hibs manager revealed that Reus had messaged him as soon as it became clear that his old gaffer was moving to Edinburgh, albeit on the other side of the city’s footballing rivalry.
Undefeated title winners in Belgium
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Reedijk, who revealed that Reus had enjoyed a place of honour on the Wall of Wins that played a big part in the bonding of Beveren last year, explained: "He sent me a message, yes. And I love the guy to bits because we had something special together.
“But especially around these matches, I love him a bit less. But after these matches, I love him again.
“That's quite a special thing to have someone also in this country. Although he's not at Hibs, he's in at the other club. It's special that we have this bond, this connection together.”
SK Beveren and the ‘Wall of Wins’
Beveren put together an astonishing run of games to clinch the Challenger Pro League title under Reedijk’s guidance, winning 28 and drawing just four of their 32 games. The gaffer revealed how his reunion with Reus will allow both men to relive one of the great psychological ploys deployed during that remarkable series of results.
“Also at Beveren, we had the Wall of Wins,” explained Reedijk. “And after every win, we put a picture on the wall. So at the end, we had 28 pictures.
“At the end of the season, we took the pictures off the wall and put them in place on each individual where it was a special match. And the message like was, if we ever meet again, then it is more or less the wall comes back together symbolically.
“Now this is already something for me where you meet someone off the wall coming back. And it will be strange, special. But at the same time, I look forward to this match because it's what makes my heart go wild as a football lover.”