Hibs will need old and young heads to reach Europa League

Darren McGregor has tipped Ryan Porteous to be a future Hibs captain, but he believes the Easter Road side will need to bank on experience as they chase down a place in the Europa League.
Darren McGregor is targeting a return against Aberdeen on Saturday weekDarren McGregor is targeting a return against Aberdeen on Saturday week
Darren McGregor is targeting a return against Aberdeen on Saturday week

Like everyone else at Ibrox, McGregor was left highly impressed by the performance of Porteous as he made his first Premiership start as a patched-up Hibs side enjoyed a second win of the season over Rangers in Govan. The teenager was pressed into action in a makeshift back three with both McGregor and Paul Hanlon, his usual partner in central defence, ruled out through injury as were right-backs David Gray and Steven Whittaker.

McGregor, Hanlon and possibly Whittaker, who has been troubled by a pelvic problem for the past few weeks, are expected to return to face Aberdeen when they travel to the Capital a week on Saturday, a match vital to Hibs’ hopes of closing the gap of eight points the second-placed side hold over them. Aberdeen have already beaten Hibs twice this season, a goal by Gary Mackay-Steven enough to take the three points on their last visit to Easter Road while the Pittodrie attacker claimed a hat-trick as Derek McInnes’ team strolled to a 4-1 victory in the Granite City.

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Those wins have been pivotal in opening up the advantage the Dons enjoy over Neil Lennon’s players but, insisted McGregor, he and his team-mates feel they are “due Aberdeen one”.

Ryan Porteous has been tipped as a future Hibs captainRyan Porteous has been tipped as a future Hibs captain
Ryan Porteous has been tipped as a future Hibs captain

And to that end, he believes it’s important to Hibs’ ambitions to have those who have been “there and done it” back in action as they try to improve on their current fourth position.

He said: “We are blessed to have some really good youngsters coming through, Ryan, Oli Shaw and Fraser Murray and others who I’m sure will come to fruition at the back end of the season.

“But it’s all about creating that mix of youth and experience.”

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Although naturally delighted to see Hibs beat Rangers, McGregor confessed to feeling apprehensive before kick-off when he saw the line-up which included Porteous flanked by Efe Ambrose and Lewis Stevenson, the left-back pressed into service as a central defender. He said: “At the start, you are thinking ‘this could be a hard day at the office’ but the boys performed superbly.

Ryan Porteous has been tipped as a future Hibs captainRyan Porteous has been tipped as a future Hibs captain
Ryan Porteous has been tipped as a future Hibs captain

“Ryan rightly got man of the match and for an 18-year-old to stand in for me and Paul in an atmosphere like that against Rangers was incredible. The way he handled himself showed maturity beyond his years.

“Ryan has had to be patient but he has shown he can step up and do very well. He’s been on the fringes but he always performs well in training. He’s very aggressive but humble, always asking your opinion and has a great head on his young shoulders.

“For me, he is a future captain of the club. He’s already captained Scotland’s Under-19 side and I’m sure one day he’ll be playing week in, week out for Hibs and we’ll probably have a struggle to keep him.”

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However, as much as Porteous might have caught the eye, McGregor insisted Hibs’ win was very much a triumph over adversity as Lennon, who had also started the game without Lithuanian internationalist Vykintas Slivka, suffered a further blow early in the game when Brandon Barker limped off with a hamstring tear which might keep the on-loan Manchester City winger out for up to six weeks.

Forced into a hasty reshuffle of his already unfamiliar-looking formation, Lennon pushed John McGinn into the unfamiliar role of left wing-back, a change the midfielder shook off to cut inside and claim the game’s opening goal before Barker’s replacement, Aussie striker Jamie Maclaren, notched the winner from the penalty spot.

McGregor said: “When squads aren’t as big as they used to be it’s vital you have players who can play in a variety of different positions.

“To have four players out who have normally been contributing each week and yet still go to somewhere like Ibrox and pick up the three points speaks volumes for the character and quality in our squad.”

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McGregor’s own absence was caused by a hamstring injury sustained during the midweek win over Motherwell, the 32-year-old limping off just before the hour mark although, he revealed, the problem had arisen before half-time.

But he believes he’ll be available again to face the Dons. He told Hibs TV: “I felt a bit of cramp a minute or two from the end of the first half but thought I could run it off.

“I’d never had a muscle issue but perhaps sitting down for 15 minutes at half-time didn’t help. Our physio Nathan Spring came on and said it was best to come off because hamstrings are quite volatile and playing on might lead to a tear.

“It was really just precautionary. Ten days, apparently, is the recovery period so I should be in contention for Aberdeen.”