Hibs star admits thinking imminent career high could have been past him as he sends honest address

Grant Hanley admits his World Cup experience will be savoured as the Hibs defender admits there have been times where he thought it’d never happen.

The experienced centre-back has already had a European Championship wearing navy blue but will now be part of the Scotland squad that heads to America for a first World Cup since 1998. Hanley has regularly been called upon by head coach Steve Clarke, even when club minutes have not been in consistent supply, and is a contender to start the opening group game against Haiti.

Hibs head coach David Gray brought him to Leith last summer and he put in some strong performances as the team finished fifth in the Premiership and clinched Conference League qualifiers. Now as he prepares for a warm-up match with Curacao, the 34-year-old says he thought playing on such a stage may have passed him by.

Grant Hanley on playing at the World Cup

He said when asked if a World Cup might not come for him, he said: "Definitely. I think that's part and parcel of life and certainly part of a career in football. There's loads of highs and probably more lows. There's been some tough and testing periods along the way, but having opportunities like this, that's what really makes it worth it.

"I don't think it's a secret that we would like to have performed better and progress further in the last couple of tournaments we've been to. Qualifying for them is one thing, but you want to give a good account of yourself and you want to be as successful as we can. This one's no different, so full focus on that.

"I don't think he'd appreciate me commenting on it, but he's certainly been unbelievable for me. The faith and the trust he's shown in me, for bringing me in and playing me consistently and even times when I was really struggling with injuries and things like that. I think back to the last few Euros, I hadn't really played any. He's shown a lot of trust in me, so certainly I will always be grateful for everything the manager's done for me."

Grant Hanley reflects on Scotland career

It was May 2011 when Hanley debuted for Scotland against Wales in Dublin. On how he’s changed since, the Hibs defender added: "A bit older and more crabbit! You've been in every situation possible in terms of on the pitch a million times before, so you sort of pick up as you go. The habits of the position are where you need to be at the right time. Getting older as well, as you pick up injuries and as your body starts to change, you need to change your game a wee bit as well.

“I'm certainly a bit different, definitely more experienced, maybe a wee bit less aggressive on the front foot. But I'd like to say that I'm better for that. It's a big achievement getting to a World Cup, but the focus now is on doing ourselves justice and being successful. Just in general life, you can start to feel that bit of buzz. You can see more and more people with Scotland strips on the streets and things like that. It's certainly something that everybody's looking forward to.”

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