Hibs' Stephane Omeonga reveals how he angered Cosenza with transfer switch

Stephane Omeonga was so desperate to seize his unexpected chance to rejoin Hibs that he had no qualms about incurring the wrath of Italian club Cosenza.

The Belgian midfielder sealed a shock return to Easter Road last Friday after a last-gasp intervention from Graeme Mathie, the Edinburgh club’s sporting director, proved to be timely enough to prevent him signing for the Serie B side on loan from Genoa.

Omeonga had agreed to join Cosenza and was at the Calabria-based club’s HQ ready to put pen to paper on a temporary deal until the end of the season when Mathie called him out of the blue, prompting a remarkable but welcome change of destiny for the 23-year-old.

Omeonga knew instantly that he wished to head back to Edinburgh, where he enjoyed a fulfilling loan stint in the second half of last season, but his last-minute change of heart

left Cosenza feeling jilted.

“It was crazy,” smiled Omeonga as he recalled the dramatic turn of events that led him back to Leith. “Cosenza were excited to sign me. I was there, at the club, and they were pushing me to sign straight away but when I went there I said I wanted to speak to the coach first and see how everything was at the club.

“After I spoke to the coach and the sporting director, I was really close to signing for them. When I told them that I had changed my mind and was going to Hibs, it didn’t end well. They were quite angry. People were also saying bad stuff about me on social media, but that’s just football.”

Despite being placed in an awkward situation by Mathie’s unexpected call, Omeonga couldn’t have been happier to get the opportunity to return to Easter Road after enduring a wretched stint on loan at Cercle Brugge in the first half of this season.

“I was not expecting the call from Graeme,” said Omeonga. “I didn’t think it would be possible to come back to Hibs. I had been following the results of the team and it looked like the midfield was doing well so I didn’t think they would need me. I felt there would be no place for me but then they called me and I was happy! The minute I saw Graeme’s name I knew what it was about because it is January, it is the transfer window. You know then that something could happen.

“After Graeme called I had to look to see if it was actually possible to sign for Hibs so I had to wait a while. I couldn’t turn down Cosenza’s offer straight away until I knew it was definitely possible to sign for Hibs, so it was a difficult situation. But the minute Graeme called, my mind was made up. I wanted to be back at Hibs. It was impossible to turn down the chance to come back here.”

If Omeonga had his way, he would have been at Hibs from the start of this season. His preference was to return to Easter Road immediately but his parent club had other ideas and the move to Belgium in July merely served to take the wind out of his sails after a fruitful spell at Hibs last term in which he made a positive impact and forged a strong bond with the club’s supporters. Omeonga made only one start and four appearances in total during his ill-fated six-month stint at Cercle Brugge, who have struggled badly at the foot of Belgium’s top league this season. “In the summer I never really got a say in what was happening with me – it wasn’t my call,” said Omeonga. “Genoa decided to send me to Cercle Brugge. The sporting director there wanted me but the coach wasn’t so happy that I was there. In the Belgian league you need to have six players from Belgium in your team, and I got the feeling I was there just to make up the numbers. I was hardly ever involved.”

Omeonga returns to Easter Road to find a new manager in Jack Ross after spending the majority of his previous stint under Paul Heckingbottom. Although the move to bring him in was driven primarily by Mathie in the wake of an injury sustained by fellow midfielder Stevie Mallan, Omeonga spoke to Ross to get reassurance that he was genuinely wanted. “We have spoken a few times and he seems like a good manager,” said Omeonga. “We spoke on the phone as I wanted to be sure he wanted me. He thinks I can bring something to the team and I am looking forward to playing for him. He talked to me about how I played last season and he said he had watched a few games. He said I can bring energy to the team and I liked what he said. He didn’t sound like someone who just wanted to get me here for no reason – he has a plan for me which is nice.”