Exclusive:Hibs breakout star's top attribute named as all-action midfielder gets 'wants to be pushed' accolade
Summer signing had all the gifts needed to excel in Scottish game
Emerging Hibs star Miguel Chaiwa’s top attribute goes beyond his physical and footballing gifts, according to Easter Road boss David Gray. And the Zambian international, already established as a stand-out performer in the starting XI, has been backed to deliver even bigger hits as he builds on his first season in Scottish football.
Hibs were first alerted to the potential of Chaiwa, who joined the club from Swiss side Young Boys in a deal believed to be worth around £500,000, as a result of a data sweep showing off-the-charts physical numbers for a player who was just about to turn 21. Talent ID reports and in-person scouting convinced the recruitment department – and Gray – that they’d found a potential superstar.
He’s become a mainstay in central midfield, especially in the absence of the injured Josh Mulligan over the past four months. And he’s consistently spoken of as a transfer target for a number of clubs, including reigning Scottish Premiership champions Celtic.
Zambian international arrived in £500,000 deal
Gray admitted that he wasn’t entirely certainly how quickly the youngster would adapt to the Scottish game, given his relative inexperience, explaining: “Yeah, he's done really well. I think there's always that element of how long does it take a player to settle, especially coming from a different environment, different culture, getting used to how we play, different ways of playing here, different intensities, I think. But he's adapted really well.
“One thing we were really confident in was his physical attributes that he's got, which are elite level attributes in terms of that physicality, which we're starting to see a lot more regularly, the more games he gets. There's still a lot of improvement to come on the technical side of the game, which we are working really hard with him with.
“But he's really, I think, especially in the last three or four weeks, found himself more consistently in the team in certain positions and done really well. And I think he's got a really bright future.
“But the biggest thing is he knows he's still got work to do and he's very much driven to try and improve in all aspects of his game. He's brilliant to work with because of that.
Change of diet improved performance
“We've got a lot of players like that. Players who have a really bright future, potentially, ahead of them.”
Chaiwa has spoken about his personal progress this season. And he’s admitted that it took him time to adapt to life in Scotland, with a new emphasis on diet helping him adjust to the pace of the game here.
Gray says that desire to tick every box and cover every angle is the greatest asset in the midfielder’s locker, declaring: “The encouraging thing about Miguel is that he really understands that it doesn't just get handed to you. We need to make sure we keep pushing him.
“He's definitely one that wants to be pushed. And he continues to push himself, which is a great thing to see in a player.”