Hibs goalie explains journey from 'last chance saloon' to Easter Road security as Smith talks family pride

When Jordan Smith uprooted his family and moved to Edinburgh in the summer, the long-time back-up goalie knew he was taking a gamble. Especially as he was given no promises about playing time by gaffer David Gray, who had made former England Under-21 keeper Josef Bursik his new signing.

It’s fair to say that Smith’s decision to back himself has paid off. And not just because he’s been rewarded with a new contract tying him to Easter Road until 2028.

Settled in Scotland and looking forward to seeing his young children grow up with accents more rooted in East Lothian than the East Midlands, the 30-year-old confesses that he was at a career crossroads when the prospect of a move to the Scottish Premiership first came up, explaining: “It kind of felt a little bit like a last chance saloon in the summer. When a club of this stature came calling, I thought: ‘Right, this is a real opportunity. I've got to give this absolutely everything because if it didn't work out then I would never have forgiven myself.’

“So, the fact that it's gone the way it has, I'm obviously delighted. I probably couldn't have imagined it going this well. We've spoken before, and I’ve said about this being the most enjoyable part of my career and that has been a massive part of it. So, as you say, it was a no-brainer as soon as they club approached me about a new contract; it was a very easy one, let's get this done, let's get it over the line.

“When you're a bit younger, I think you get carried away with things a little bit. But for where I'm at now, I just think that's thanks for what I've done so far and I'm very much concentrated on the now and the future.

“So, yeah, really happy to put roots down. This is probably the first time in my career when my son and daughter are going to remember daddy playing on the pitch, which is really nice.”

Kids picking up Scottish accent

Wife Charlotte, son Luca – who will be three in May – and one-year-old daughter Brielle are a huge part of Smith’s support network. The thought of the wee ones growing up talking in the local dialect has him more than a bit tickled, the big man admitting: “To be fair, I'm more than happy if they do! That's probably part of the reason I signed a three-year contract because there's every chance that that will happen …

“People probably don't talk about it an awful lot. But it’s nice when I get to speak about my family with pride, absolutely.

“So, dragging them - I say dragging them, they didn't come kicking and screaming, they were quite happy, it's still a nice house that we've got - to come up here and work hard at my craft and have that backing is just so nice, to be honest with you. That makes my life quite easy. So, let's give the wife a nice shout out because she looks after the kids while I get to go and work, so to speak.”

From his mum becoming a minor celebrity among Hibs fans on social media, to the warmth of the reception he got even when enduring a few wobbles as a replacement for Bursik, Smith has made the most of this experience. Although he made nearly a half century of appearances for Nottingham Forest during his ten years on the books, his career before arriving at Hibs included stints with clubs like Ilkeston and Nuneaton Town; this has been a change of pace, to say the least.

Smith shines despite Scottish Cup loss to Celtic

Smith, outstanding in yesterday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final loss to Treble-chasing Celtic, loves being backed by a supporter base able to take 7000 fans to Celtic Park, the experienced goalkeeper saying: “I probably should have started by thanking the fans because the applause that we got off the pitch at the end was fantastic, and that probably shows the affinity between the players, this current squad and the fans and what we're giving each other at the minute. It's as much their journey as it is ours.

“We're just more than happy to represent them. I think the manager is a big part of that, obviously, in terms of the reason why being an important factor in doing what you do.

“I probably wasn't expecting that reaction really coming off the pitch, so the fact that they gave us that, they're with us all the way and they give us a reason to give them something to get excited about, to cheer about, to cling on to that little bit of hope that we can finish this season off really strongly.

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“Yes, it's bittersweet when you play well personally but still lose. Obviously, it's nice to make the saves that I have done to try and give the team a chance.

“But I'm certainly not going to take any credit or plaudits for it, because if we get a result and those saves mean something, then yes, absolutely. The fact that we've gone out 2-0, it's really difficult to tell the rest of them to pull their fingers out! I’m certainly not going to be doing that.

“It's a strange position being a goalkeeper. I'm sure every football fan thinks the same, but it can be quite a lonely place at times.

“As we've spoken about earlier, this team is all pulling in one direction and that togetherness, I'm a part of that. So I've lost just as much as they have.”

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