Exclusive:Hibs stalwart reveals unique motivation in Euro drive as Easter Road side close in on third place

Hibs starter Chris Cadden insists he has more reason than most at Easter Road to crave an extended run in Europe next season – after TWICE being denied the thrill by horrendous injury luck. And the all-action wingback, virtually an ever-present as David Gray’s men bounced back from the relegation zone to the brink of a third-place finish in the Scottish Premiership, insists he and his team-mates are laser focused on delivering for the fans who stood by the team during the tough months.

“It would mean a lot to me, if we were to get into Europe,” said Cadden, the former Motherwell man adding: “We’ve been in European football twice since I’ve been here – and I’ve been injured both times.

“I had the Achilles’ tendon issue, obviously, and I also had a stress fracture in my back. So I missed the first two chances to play in Europe.

“For me personally, it would be big, obviously. It would be big for everybody, not just me, but big for the club as well, which we're looking forward to trying to go and achieve. But the hunt's not done yet, we've got a bit of a way to go.

“It’s a big week to come, two cup finals against St Mirren and Rangers. And that makes it a big challenge. But we’ll meet it head-on.”

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Recalling the experience of being stuck in the stands for Conference League adventures at the start of season 2021-22 and, more painfully, the uproarious journey to Villa Park – via wins over Inter Club D’Escaldes and Lucerne – last season, Cadden admitted: “I wasn’t the best, to be honest. With my Achilles’ in particular, I’d done it in pretty much the last game of the season.

“So I knew I had no chance of being involved. There was absolutely no way I was going to feature, because I was still probably nine months away from getting back out playing.

“I quickly realised that I didn’t enjoy watching the games! I just got really nervous. It was tough, because you just want to be a part of it.

“Fingers crossed we can do it, but you don't want to look too far ahead. You know how big the games are coming up, so we'll try and do our best to do that for the fans, who have really stuck with us all year.”

It goes without saying that even the most optimistic supporter couldn’t have predicted this scenario playing out as recently as, oh, early December, maybe. At that stage, just making the top six seemed like a stretch.

So to be in with a shout of finishing third, and potentially securing guaranteed Europea Conference League group stage football should Celtic beat Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final? That’s a dream come true for these players.

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Cadden said: “You need to realise how well we've done to get ourselves in this position. But we know t's all about going and finishing it off.

“The boys have worked really hard; they've been brilliant to get here. It's in our own hands, and that’s all we could have asked for. The gaffer told us that throughout the week. It's all down to us really, we just need to concentrate on us.

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“It starts with St Mirren in midweek. They're a good team and we're under no illusions. It's going to be a tough game, especially away from home. So we know we need to be at our best if we want to go and win the game.

“They’re back in the hunt for fifth, which shows you how exciting the split can be. I’m a fan of it, to be honest. I think it makes every game competitive. Going into the last week of the season, it’s a pretty good set-up for the neutral.

“Obviously have St Mirren have done really well to get where they are and to get in that hunt for European football, so they'll be right up for it. Then Rangers at the weekend, which will be as tough as ever – but we’ve just got to concentrate on ourselves.”

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