Steven Naismith, Chris Sutton and Kris Boyd assess 'versatile' Hibs ace McGrath in Player of the Year chat
Former Hearts boss, ex-Celtic great and Rangers record breaker talk top talent
Hibs ace Jamie McGrath has been hailed for his versatility and consistency in his first season at Hibs. But a trio of the most opinionated pundits in the game have unanimously eliminated the attacking midfielder from their pick for Player of the Season so far.
Former Celtic great Chris Sutton, Rangers record breaker Kris Boyd and ex-Hearts boss Steven Naismith weighed up the Irishman’s contribution on The Warm-Up, the William Hill SPFL’s weekly preview show. The ex-pros are currently playing a game of ‘last man standing’, starting with a large field of Player of the Year contenders and dropping one each week.
Despite McGrath earning praise for his adaptability in switching to left wingback for the weekend thumping of Falkirk at Easter Road, all three picked Motherwell’s Tawanda Maswanhise – the league’s joint top scorer with eight goals - to stay in the completion. But they did all acknowledge that the Hibs man, a pre-contract signing from Aberdeen who has been virtual an ever-present in David Gray’s first XI when fit, had made a real impact at the Edinburgh club.
Motherwell man hailed for ‘greater impact’
Sutton said: “I think we should pay a bit of homage to McGrath for the way that he's played this season. He had the penalty miss against Rangers. That aside, I think he's been so influential. His goals.
“He's a versatile player as well. He moved from the central area to left-hand side against Celtic, didn't he? I like him a lot, but I would still say Maswanhise for having a greater impact.”
As well as scoring with a stunning free-kick against Midtjylland away on his competitive debut for Hibs, McGrath has since knocked in five league goals and a pair of assists for Gray’s men. The former St Mirren star is also in and around the Republic of Ireland squad still hoping to qualify for next summer’s World Cup via the play-offs later this season.
Steven Naismith, who played for AND managed Hearts, admitted that the 29-year-old deserved credit, saying: “One of Hibs' best players, yes. Scored four or five goals. Contributed a lot. Good player.
“Maswanhise for me, though. He's flying, if you're going that. McGrath's had a big impact for Hibs, but not top of the league for goals, assists or contributions. Maswanhise for me.”
Boyd, meanwhile, cautioned against McGrath being moved wide on a more permanent basis for Hibs, saying: “That was probably his downfall at Aberdeen, I felt. Playing off one of the sides, it didn't really suit him.
“I think when he's in the middle, you get so much more from him. Five goals, two assists I think this season so far.
“I think McGrath's had a good season. Scoring goals. But for me, I'm sticking with Maswanhise.”