Exclusive:Hibs star reveals secrets of successful revival as Easter Road side brace for 'massive' third place challenge
Former Man United prospect counts goal against Rangers at Ibrox among recent highlights
Hibs midfielder Dylan Levitt believes he’s hitting the best form of his career in an Easter Road side showing real versatility as they cover the closing stretch of a remarkable campaign. And the Welshman, the home team’s best performer in the weekend dismantling of Euro rivals Dundee United, admits that the early-season struggles – personal and collective – feels like a different era for a side tightening their grip on third place in the Scottish Premiership.
Levitt earned public praise from Hibs boss David Gray last week, the first-year head coach singling the playmaker out for having “matured” during a brutal first half of the campaign. While his team-mates struggled to pick up just a single win in their first 14 Scottish Premiership fixtures, the former Manchester United prospect made only fleeting appearances from the bench.
The 24-year-old, a full international with 13 caps for Wales, has now started the past half dozen games for Hibs. And continues to impress on a weekly basis, with the opening goal in a recent 2-0 win over Rangers at Ibrox just one example of his revived fortunes.
“Yeah, I think so,” said Levitt, when asked if he was playing the best football of his senior career, the former Dundee United player adding: “I'm really enjoying myself. It obviously helps when the team's doing well as well and everyone around you is really helping you.
“I came into the team at a really good time when we started picking up results. For me, I feel like I'm really full of confidence right now.
“Yeah, I saw the manager had been speaking about me, which was really nice. It wouldn't be anything he hasn't told me.
Former Manchester United prospect has grown ‘as a player and as a man’
“The spell at the start of the season for me was quite tough. As a player, it was just about being ready when called upon.
“When I got the game against Motherwell here (in January’s 3-1 home win), I just had to try and show them what I've been doing in training, working hard. Since then, I feel like I've really grown as a player and as a man as well.”
Levitt, whose return to prominence has coincided with Hibs turning their entire season around, admitted: “The start of the season was a long time ago. Or it feels like a long time ago.
“We knew at the start of the season we had the belief in the group. After every result we went through games.
“When it's going bad, it's not as bad when you break down into it. But as we've turned it around a little bit towards December, Christmas time, we've really grown in confidence and kicked on.
Hibs a more complete team able to change up tactics
“We’ve had to show different sides to our game this season. And the gaffer reminded us of that before the game on Saturday – he told us that we’ve got a bit of everything, depending on how the game goes. We showed that.
“We could go long into Myko (Kuharevich), into Kieron Bowie when he came on, and get runners off the front man. Or first half, as you've seen, we can really play through teams and create chances that way. So yeah, it's a bit of a mix of everything.
“That was a massive win against United. I think throughout the 90 minutes I thought we were excellent.
“I think from especially the first half, I think really showed our intent to try and get the first goal. And obviously the second one was really important.
“And then at half-time it's just about the next goal is very big. Obviously they got the goal and it kind of shaped us a little bit the first 10 minutes after we conceded.
“After that, I think we played really well, really good game management I think. And obviously Dwight Gayle gets the third, which obviously you can kind of, not relax, but you've got a little bit of leeway going into the final minutes of the game. So overall it's a massive three points and a really good performance.
“It would mean so much for me and the team to finish third, considering how the season started. For everyone involved, I think it would be massive for the club, the fans.
“Like I said, everyone's just got their eye on that at the moment. If we keep winning games, as the gaffer has mentioned before, no one can catch us.
“Just taking game by game, knowing what to do when the game comes and if we need to change anything and adapt to a different style in the game, we're more than capable of doing that.”
Levitt has developed a good partnership with Sunderland loanee Nectar Triantis, the pair bringing a solid element of control to a crucial area of the park. It’s something that they’ve worked on as a pair.
“Yeah, I think you can see that over the last couple of weeks, we've really played well together,” said Levit. “Obviously that’s something we focus on in training as well. Kind of get that relationship, form that relationship - and it's showing now in the last couple of weeks massively.”