As a venue for his first proper public appearance since THAT challenge in Scotland’s opening Euro 2024 fixture in Germany, Ryan Porteous couldn’t have chosen anywhere better than Easter Road. Popular? Regardless of whether you used first past the post, full proportional representation or some twist on America’s zany electoral college, the former Hibs captain would poll highly among supporters guaranteed to give him a warm welcome tomorrow night.
One of the reasons for his feted status, ironically, is precisely the sort of all-or-nothing physicality that proved to be his undoing in Munich. The Watford centre-half, guaranteed to start for the visitors in a friendly game that will see David Gray deploy two different teams either side of half-time, became a cult hero in Leith partly because he took no prisoners.
There is, of course, much more to being ‘hard’ than merely liking a tackle. Being able to get back up after being flattened is a factor. As is the sort of teak toughness that makes injuries a mere inconvenience.
With apologies and pleas for forgiveness to anyone we’ve missed, then, let’s take a look – in NO PARTICULAR ORDER, for risk of causing a rammy – at ten of the hardest players ever to pull on the green-and-white jersey. Let the (polite) arguments begin.
5. Chic Charnley
A really interesting bunch of guys. If you haven’t heard the story about him fighting off a samurai sword-wielding assailant with nothing more than a traffic cone, look it up. A record of 17 red cards in his senior career speaks to an unfortunate series of misunderstandings with referees, opponents, fans, innocent bystanders … The undoubtedly talented midfielder didn’t get sent off once for Hibs. But then, he was only at Easter Road for about a year. Photo: SNS Group
6. Marvin Bartley
One from the modern era. A cult hero whose departure STILL causes some Hibs fans to grumble about the club throwing away a player whose absence left their team with a gaping hole in that central defensive midfield role. Big Marv, a huge boxing fan who later tried his hand at fight promotion, was not to be messed with. Photo: SNS Group Ross Parker
7. Lewis Stevenson
One of the nicest guys in football. The most decorated player in Hibs history, as the only man to have won both the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup with the club. Holder of all sorts of records. You don’t make 600 first-team appearances, most of them at left back, without having some of that dawg in you. A great on-on-one defender who never gave up on a fight. | Getty Images
8. John Blackley
Not an obvious one. But hear us out on this. Younger supporters who never got the chance to see ‘Sloop’ play for Hibs – you might need to explain the Beach Boys-themed nickname to them, too – really missed out on a class act. In more ways than one. Not only was he a beautiful footballer, a wonderful central defender who brought calm and class to the back line of Turnbull’s Tornadoes – a side full of hard-tackling competitors arguably more deserving of a place on this list. But his team-mates from that era of shin-snapping challenges and flying elbows also recall the Scotland defender being terrifyingly tough. Something that opponents occasionally forgot. But not for long. Photo: Contributed