Hibs ace inspired by Kane - and chasing England star's No. 9 jersey one day - makes shock goal admission
Dream Easter Road start dismissed as Lowe declares: ‘This is just a warm-up!’
He’s obsessed with scoring goals, is Nathan Lowe. Just like his heroes, a pair of not-so-bad strikers by the name of Haaland and Kane, he the new Hibs No. 9 – a player who would love to wear that jersey for England one day – spends every waking hour thinking about ways to take chances, embarrass goalkeepers and accumulate scoring stats by the bucketful.
Which makes it slightly odd that the on-loan Stoke centre forward should shy away from celebrating a dream double on his Hibs debut. Ah well, maybe he’s just absolutely certain that he’ll soon have ‘proper’ scoring moments to celebrate …
“If I score on the first game of the league season or in Europe on Thursday, then I'll count it,” said Lowe, who insists that the two goals he bagged in yesterday’s home friendly win over Brondby shouldn’t be marked next to his official tally, explaining: “I'm not really counting it because it's a pre-season game. I'll take it with a pinch of salt and we'll see what happens at the start of the season.
“But I’m open about the fact that I wouldn't be a professional footballer if I wasn't a striker. A goalkeeper or a striker.
‘You’ll see the passion when I score ...’
“The adrenaline you get from scoring, even in a pre-season game, it's hard not to celebrate. It's hard not to run off to the corner flag.
“You have to remember that no one actually cares. This is just a warm-up!
“But come the season, you'll see the passion when I score goals. That's what I live for, on the pitch obviously, not off the pitch. I think that's the main aim for a striker.
“You're always a bit grumpy if you're not scored for a couple of weeks. You have to be obsessive about it.
“Look at Erling Haaland and Harry Kane. They're clearly obsessive about scoring goals.
“They're the sort of idols in my life at the moment. That's why I want to be obsessive about it.
“I think any striker that doesn't set themselves the highest targets, or any football player in general, is either unambitious or not trying to reach their full potential.
Top goal scorer in SPFL target
“I want to be the top goal scorer in the league. I might sit down here in a year's time and that not be the case. And that's fine, I can live with that.
“But I wouldn't be able to live with not trying. So that's my target. And for Hibs to have a good run in Europe and also in the league. And hopefully improve on the position from last season.”
Lowe actually laid out his ambition to top the SPFL scoring charts on the day he arrived at Hibs. The 20-year-old, who has so far enjoyed loan spells with Walsall, Stockport and Wycombe, certainly doesn’t lack for confidence.
He sees it as merely a determination, explaining: “I just think there's no point doing stuff half-cocked really. For me, I feel like I wouldn't be able to get up every morning and just put minimal effort in.
“You either do or you don't - and there's no in between. There's easier professions, I can tell you that for a fact. But I think that's just the mindset that you have to have for where I want to get to.
“I do believe this (joining Hibs) a step up as well. I feel like it's a challenge.
“I could have gone back to League One. But I felt for this step in my journey that the SPFL, especially Hibs, provided an option that I wouldn't get in England.
“Playing these European games, playing these massive games in the league as well. There's obviously more scrutiny up here as well, being the top division.
“There's all these things that will make me tougher mentally and hopefully provide me with some really fun memories at the end of it. Take the lows with the highs and just enjoy it as much as I can.”
England World Cup banter alert
Barely a week into life in Edinburgh, Lowe is already loving the city. Although the former England Under-19 star admits he made the wise choice in not venturing out to watch his country’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday night …
“Yeah, I think Joe Newell took it the worst,” he said, with a laugh, when asked if his new team-mates had been ribbing him in the wake of England’s late collapse in Atlanta, the Harlow-born player adding: “I think he was probably a bit grumpy the next day.
“Personally, I watched it from my hotel room. I could hear the Scottish fans cheering when Argentina scored underneath me. I'm kind of glad I didn't go out and watch that somewhere!
“It was a good run anyway, so I'm sure the whole country's proud of them.”
There’s a slight hint of the Kieron Bowie about Lowe, not just physically but in the way he uses his frame to shield the ball. And, of course, many felt that the ex-Hibs man should probably have travelled to the World Cup with the Scotland squad this summer.
One day, Lowe would like to put himself in the conversation for senior England honours. He knows that day may be a long, long way off. But you try telling him to give up on his dream.
“Yeah, obviously I'd love to represent my country,” he said, adding: “It's very competitive, especially at the first-team level. But the 21s is still a very, very competitive level.
“There's lads playing in the Premier League, most of them playing in the Championship or similar leagues in Europe. It's a tough one, but who knows? If I start bagging a bunch of goals up here, maybe they'll take notice. Obviously, I'd love to represent my country.”
When it was suggested that England don’t necessarily have a whole hosts of natural successors to Kane, often described as one of the last out-and-out English centre forwards of his generation, a wary Lowe said: “I talk about being ambitious, and that is obviously the ultimate aim. But I've got a long way to go before even thinking about that, really.
“I think it's just taking the little baby steps and taking the little wins when I can - and riding the lows as well. Who knows what will happen in five, ten years' time later down the line?”