Hibs goalie makes 'best possible chance' claim - why Jordan Smith thinks he's earned shot at No. 1 role
Former Nottingham Forest player faces competition from Austrian Bundesliga star
Hibs goalie Jordan Smith knows he’ll have to be at peak levels to retain the No. 1 position for the campaign ahead. But the experienced keeper believes the way he finished last season gives him the “best possible chance” to earn the nod from manager David Gray.
Smith was a steadying influence as he replaced error-strewn Josef Bursik in November last season, the veteran Englishman’s step into the starting XI coinciding with a dramatic upswing in fortunes as Hibs climbed from the foot of the table to finish third in the Scottish Premiership. Bursik was kept on the bench until his loan deal with Club Brugge expired at the end of the campaign.
Aware that Hibs have just spent an undisclosed fee on new goalie Raphael Sallinger, Smith is up for the challenge, the former Nottingham Forest player saying: “There was always going to be a new signing and whoever it was that came through the door, they feel like they're going to want to come in and play. My mindset has absolutely not changed in that I want to continue playing football.
Smith expresses ‘hope’ over manager’s faith
“But I made the comments in pre-season last season after I signed, and Joe started the season. Whoever it is that gets the gloves and gets the nod, you're going to have to be the best version of yourself every time you go out there. Because ultimately training is of a standard where we're going to be pushing each other.
“And on a personal note I feel like I performed relatively well last season. There's certainly things I want to improve on, both in training work and what is going to come with more game time.
“But I'd like to think that I've given myself the best possible chance to start the season in the same vein of form. So I've just got to hope that I'm given the chance to continue on that.
“In the first couple of days he seems like a great guy - he’s very humble. He comes across really well.
“I was a little bit worried about the language barrier, but same as everybody else from another country, they speak English better than we do any other language. He's been great, I think he's slotted in really well.
“He's done a bit of work with the goalies and the younger goalies. His work seems great. He's got a mindset and a work ethic that suits the group. As I said before, we're going to push each other the whole way and make sure we're the very best versions of ourselves on and off the pitch.”
David Gray’s team building towards Europa League clash
Hibs have three friendlies left before they kick off the new campaign with a Europa League second qualifying round tie against FC Midtjylland. Next up are Rott-Weiss Essen at Easter Road tomorrow night, as the club celebrate their 150th anniversary year with a replay of Hibernian’s very first European tie back in 1955.
Gray’s men will take on Bournemouth behind closed doors on a short trip to the south coast next week, before hosting Bolton Wanderers in a game that will double as Darren McGregor’s testimonial. From there, they face Midtjylland away on July 24, with the return leg a week later – followed immediately by the SPFL Scottish Premiership kick-off, against Dundee at Dens Park on Sunday, August 3.
Smith, who signed a new three-year deal before he’d even completed his first season at the club, isn’t particularly fazed by the prospect of getting on the Thursday-Sunday-Thursday carousel should Hibs progress in either the Europa League or Europa Conference League, with his long experience in the EFL involving a much more demanding schedule, the 30-year-old saying: “It's a luxury really up here, where you can sometimes go two weeks without games. I think a lot of the boys are experienced enough and sort of an age now where they know their own body, they know how to fuel it properly, how to prepare - and they've got some experience down in England as well, where the games come thick and fast.
“The games are going to come whether we want them or not, so we need to be ready. We need to do absolutely everything at our disposal to make sure that we are ready and there can be no excuses.
“I think it's the easiest thing in the world to look for excuses or reasons why it's not worked. That can't be the way we approach it going forward. So, Thursday, Sunday, whatever it takes we need to make sure we get the results.”