Hibs loanee pens emotional goodbye message to club as he thanks them for memories

Matthew Hoppe joined from Middlesbrough in January, and was actually unveiled by Hibs during the half-time break of a 1-1 cinch Premiership draw with Ross County in Dingwall on transfer deadline day. The young attacker came highly regarded after scoring a Bundesliga hat-trick for Schalke at the age of 19, and five goals in five games for Boro’s Under-21s in the first half of last season.

Brought into provide additional firepower in the final third due to the ongoing injury problems suffered by fellow loanee Mykola Kukharevych, Scotland striker Kevin Nisbet, and talismanic winger Martin Boyle, the versatile American forward scored on his first start for the Capital club, grabbing the second goal in a 2-0 victory over Kilmarnock, and notched assists in consecutive matches against Livingston and Rangers. He started four times for Hibs but found gametime limited particularly after Nisbet returned to full fitness and after the league split played just ten minutes across two substitute appearances against St Mirren and Rangers.

While at Hibs he also launched the Matthew Hoppe Foundation, a ‘non-profit organisation focused on assisting young athletes to hone their skills through soccer camps, mentorships, and other resources’.

Matthew Hoppe in action for Hibs during a cinch Premiership clash with Motherwell at Easter Road. Picture: Craig Foy/SNS Group

Writing on Instagram, Hoppe said: “Thank you to the fans, players, and staff at Hibs for the opportunities and memories during my loan. I’m very happy we were able to reach our goal of qualifying for Europe, and I wish you guys nothing but the best for the future!”