Hibs skipper Passlack addresses captaincy switch and draws on World Cup winner inspiration for Hampden derby
Former Borussia Dortmund star learned by listening to Mats Hummels
Handed a battlefield promotion, an armband and a headful of instructions, Felix Passlack understandably thought back to club captains he’d known and loved. For obvious reasons, one name stood out.
The recently-appointed Hibs skipper, entrusted with an official leadership role for the first time in a career began in earnest as a Borussia Dortmund wunderkind, revealed: “My first captain was Mats Hummels. So, pretty experienced, guys.
“Honestly, yeah, I’m still drawing on things he told me. I mean, he’s someone who won the World Cup, and more than a few championships in Germany, so I think it's good when you listen to him.”
Passlack, looking forward to leading his team out at Hampden to face Hearts in tomorrow’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final, was made captain within days of new manager Marink Reedijk taking the helm. And, as he’s discovering, with great power comes a need for great diplomacy.
The German being made captain meant that both Martin Boyle and Joe Newell were effectively stripped of the honour they’d shared. Reedijk insists everyone in the dressing room is on board with the decision.
Asked if he’d felt the need to speak to either Newell or Boyle, Passlack said: “I think that's that's a question for the manager, not for me. Because the gaffer decided.
“It was not like I took it from them, so I think that's that's a question for him. I mean, we don't have a problem with each other, we are still helping each other out and support each other. So yeah, that's a good mood in the dressing room.
“The manager spoke to me before Dundee United, before his first game. eah, we had a wee chat about it. And that's it
“Yeah, it is special, but we spoke in a preseason about it that we have a lot of leaders in the group who are willing to take responsibility on and off the pitch, and that's important for us as a group. And for me, it's a privilege to be wearing the armband. I do it with pride.”
‘Der Klassiker’ experience will help at Hampden
Passlack brings with him a healthy experience of German footballing rivalries, the right back saying: “I played in Schalke versus Dortmund, and in Germany they call Dortmund against Bayern Munich ‘Der Klassiker.’ This is probably now the biggest one in Germany.
“I played in the Super Cup against Bayern Munich. We played in the semis of the German Cup against each other. But yeah, you can compare them.
“Hampden will be electric. The best atmosphere of all. I mean, it's Hearts against Hibs at Hampden. So I can imagine the atmosphere already.”
Red carded in the final Edinburgh derby of last season, and given a torrid time as Hibs lost 3-1 to Hearts back in September, Passlack insists much has changed since the arrival of Reedijk. This, he says, will be a completely different contest.
And, should he need to pass on a message to some of his team-mates ahead of kick-off, he’ll fall back on the words of the old-timers, Hummels among them, who guided him through those first almighty collisions with Bayern or Schalke back in his youth, saying: “Yeah, I remember them saying it’s important that you stick to the plan. That your mind was fully focussed on the game, not on anything else. That you perform well, that you do the right things.”
Felix Passlack was promoting Hearts v Hibernian live on Sunday on Premier Sports from 2pm. Premier Sports is available on Sky, Virgin, STV Player and Amazon Prime as an add on subscription.