Exclusive:How elite Hibs prospect used 'obstacles and adversity' to inspire title triumph - and set perfect example

One of Hibernian’s most exciting prospects has been backed to recover from a season of setbacks – after producing the ideal response to falling out of the first-team reckoning. And Rory Whittaker’s attitude to being dropped back into age-grade football has been hailed as an example to all young talents.

The youngest debutant in club history, Whittaker was just 16 years and 44 days old when then-manager Nick Montgomery threw him into a home win over St Johnstone in September of 2023. He featured regularly as a substitute during Montgomery’s eight months at the helm – and was rewarded with a three-year contract as Hibs looked to lock down a player seen as a future regular.

With Hibs overloaded in the right back position, however, David Gray sent Whittaker out on loan to Spartans – where the youngster had started his career as a schoolboy - at the beginning of last season in the hope of furthering his development. Although regularly used as a substitute, the teenager made just two starts for the SPFL League Two side.

When he returned to Hibs in January, the club decided against another loan move – and dropped Whittaker back into the under-18s squad, where he played his part in helping Darren McGregor’s team pull off a stunning Club Academy Scotland Elite League title triumph. His performances for the youth team confirmed the coaching staff’s high opinion of a character backed to benefit from going through such adversity.

Scottish Cup hero McGregor impressed with defender

Former first-team stalwart McGregor, who said Whittaker could easily have consider himself “above” the daily grind of under-18 football, was massively impressed, the Scottish Cup winner saying: “I mean, that's learning for you, that's football, sometimes it happens that you have to take a step back. And I think Rory was excellent in the run-in and the big important games, he was really one of the guys that sort of took the bull by the horns. He's got that, he's a confident lad, nothing phases him.

“But he had that wee bit of adversity, obviously getting into the first team, dropping back out, going to Spartans. Then it not quite working out at Spartans, coming back to us - and then just knuckling down and working hard.

“He could have quite easily said: ‘I've been in the first team, I've been at Spartans, I'm above the 18s …’ But he never did. He came back, worked hard and showed what a good player he is.

“All these little obstacles and adversity, for me, stand them in good stead when they get older because it’s not always sunshine and rainbows. There's lots of peaks and there's lots of troughs as well.

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“And I always say that to the lads, try to stay as close to centre as you can because you will get disappointments in football. People will have opinions about you. But if you believe in yourself and you keep working hard and show a can-do attitude, you've got half a chance.

“I say to the older boys in our group, boys like Rory Whittaker, Dead Cleland and Joe McGrath, really all the 2007 group, that the younger lads look up to them. The ‘08s and ‘09s look up to you, so set the standard – and that inspires them to reach that standard, maybe even better.”

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