Hibs goal hero talks crowd surfing, contract silence and Cup dreams as Rocky revels in knockout role

For a couple of heartbeats after his dramatic intervention (yes, another one) on Friday night, Rocky Bushiri had to fight back the temptation to dive headlong into the throng of travelling supporters gathered behind the goal at Somerset Park. Very much an ‘all in’ sort of character, Bushiri will undoubtedly bring the same level of no-holds-barred enthusiasm to every game he plays between now and the end of the season.

And then? Well, it’s not entirely up to him, is it? One of an entire starting XI – plus subs – out of contract at the end of the current campaign, the 25-year-old Democratic Republic of Congo internationalist was subject to a rejected bid from Egyptian giants Zamalek during the January window. Indicating that someone at Hibs sees value in his short-term presence, at least.

Asked if there had been any talks on extending his stay in Edinburgh, however, Bushiri said: “Not yet. Yeah, I’m out of contract the end of the season. We will see what happens.

"We will see. The window is shut now, so my full focus is on Hibs. There's been rumours, etc, but now it's up to the club how they will react to it.

"It's always good when you play well, you attract interest from different clubs. It's also a boost; it's not always a bad thing when you can't leave the club. But I'm now open and we will see how the club will react to it in the coming months."

With Hibs heading into a summer overhaul likely to make the last close season, with its 12 new arrivals, seem like a bit of tinkering around the edges, there are no guarantees that even established first-team starters will be back for another tour of duty at Easter Road. As ever, finance, length of contract and other factors will be part of two-way negotiations that are never as straightforward as anyone hopes.

At the start of this season, as he was warming the bench and making the odd appearance as a substitute, Bushiri must have thought that he’d definitely be on his way out. Possibly even sooner than the end of the season.

Now? This is the guy whose late, late strike against Aberdeen in the 3-3 draw at Easter Road change everything, absolutely everything, for David Gray and his team. And he was at it again last night in deepest Ayrshire, stopping to nod home Kieron Bowie’s flick-on to score the only goal in a 1-0 win that puts Hibs into the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup.

Asked about his knack for scoring at just the right moment, a smiling Bushiri said: "I wouldn't call it a habit! But these are important goals that I've scored this season and hopefully that can continue. I'm happy I can contribute to the team with goals as well."

"It felt very good celebrating with the supporters, especially as my goals always seem to be late in games. That makes it even more special.

"The fans were so close to you, I just wanted to jump in there! But I had to behave as I didn't want a yellow card.

"Yes, of course it's an extra boost to hear those fans singing my name, too. I think that song started at Hearts away and now the song is still there. We've had positive results which helps keep everyone happy."

Explaining how he’d stayed focused during a brutal start to the campaign, watching the team struggle to pick up even a point as he warmed the bench, Bushiri said: "At the end of the day, I'm a professional footballer with a contract with Hibs. So if I'm happy or not, I have to train well. I'm a professional.

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"We have different backgrounds. But football is everything for me, so I need to respect that.

“Once I'm on the training ground, once I'm on the pitch, I will always give myself the opportunity to make sure nobody can say it's my attitude. So that's how I work.

"Yes, we're feeling good now. But you know in tough times, you have to keep your head up and your chest high and keep fighting.

“Because you will always face difficult moments as a footballer. You just have to always believe in yourself.

"We are feeling good and we're happy to move into the next round of the Cup. That's the most important thing in these games that are very difficult, especially against a team that's not in our league but is doing very well in the Championship. I'm really happy we are through safely.

"I don't think the team goals have changed, you know. You know when you are at a club like this what needs to happen.

"I don't think things have changed. It's not like because you have a bad start of the season, we just give up on our goals.

"No, you just believe. Lots of people had confidence, myself included, that we can turn this around. We've done it, but now we need to stay calm.

"We've seen in this season, also with different teams, things go fast and change fast. We need to keep our feet on the ground and keep working hard."

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