Kevin de Bruyne area, rejecting a loan move, and earning trust: How Ewan Henderson can win back Hibs starting berth

If you re-watch Élie Youan’s goal against St Mirren at the SMiSA Stadium this month to mark a fifth game without defeat for Hibs, you’ll notice the starring role played by substitute Ewan Henderson.

The strike won’t win any awards for style but the best part about the goal was its relative simplicity, with Henderson orchestrating the move.

Trevor Carson’s long ball towards Scott Tanser is won aerially by Chris Cadden on the corner of the Hibs’ 18-yard box. He controls it and as he does so, Henderson – on ten minutes earlier for Joe Newell – senses the opportunity and calls for a pass to the right wing. As Cadden makes the pass, taking out St Mirren pair Mark O’Hara and Curtis Main, Henderson is already looking further up the park to see the positions of Youan and Matthew Hoppe. He picks up the ball on the touchline, drives forward into Buddies territory, has another glance up, and curls a pass towards Youan. Henderson has to bend the ball between opposition duo Keanu Baccus and Charles Dunne as well as behind Hoppe and marker Alex Gogić to reach Youan, but also ensures that the pass pulls Marcus Fraser out of position enough to give Youan the opportunity.

A neat assist which means, somewhat bizarrely, that 40 per cent of Henderson’s goal contributions (two goals and two assists) in a Hibs shirt have come against St Mirren. His assist for Mykola Kukharevych’s goal as well as his own strike in the 3-0 victory at Easter Road in late October were especially impressive.

Ewan Henderson impressed against St Mirren - and Hibs boss Lee Johnson has challenged the player to find consistency

And yet there is a feeling that the former Celtic youngster still has a lot more to give, that he could shift into a higher gear more often than he does. His talent is undoubted but the player needs to bring it out more – and Hibs boss Lee Johnson is desperate for the playmaker to fulfil his potential.

‘Is he going to be a Lampard or a Messi?’

"He’s a really good player; a great receiver – his touch is like a pillow. He’s really intelligent in terms of finding pockets and space. He’s a very honest lad and we’ve spoken numerous times – my challenge to him is, ‘what’s next?’ What’s he going to be? Is he going to be a threat as a Frank Lampard-type, arriving in the box and getting goals, or like Lionel Messi in terms of dribbling past people and taking them out of the game? That’s the bit I want to see.

"On Saturday I thought he came on and looked really physically strong. He got across the ground well. His challenge is to do that on a consistent basis. He’s actually just moved out of his parents’ house in the last six weeks, so there are all many life elements that start to change the way you think and act.

Henderson vies with former Hibee Alex Gogic during the 1-0 win in Paisley

"He came on in a game that was scruffy and showed his quality and class and that’s all he can do. If he keeps doing that in his substitute appearances and in training then we will trust him to start games again. It’s not about producing all the time but it’s about being consistent on and off the ball and being at least a 7/10 each week.”

Johnson is challenging Henderson to improve his weaknesses and strengthen his positives but above all, he wants consistency from the 22-year-old, and hints that he may have turned a corner in recent weeks.

Turning down loan move and best position

"If he can bump up his weaknesses by one or two points and accentuate his qualities by one or two points then we’ll have a really top player. But I just want that bit more pitch personality from him, a bit more consistency. That’s the demand and that’s what we’re working on, and he can’t do any more than show that in the last game from the amount of minutes he had on the pitch.

Henderson scored one and set up another in the 3-0 victory over St Mirren in late October

"I think he’s best as a ten, receiving between the lines. I liked him in the first game of the season against St Johnstone when we played 4-3-3 with a six, an eight, and a ten, I thought he occupied that half-space really well. He was really potent in that Kevin de Bruyne area. That’s where he’s best, but he’s got to be consistent in his will to win, with his attitude to playing forward and his desire to make things happen. He’s working hard and he performed well against St Mirren. He actually had the chance to go on loan in January but he didn’t want to, he wanted to stay and prove his worth at Hibs.”

‘He has to be allowed to make mistakes’

Johnson also uses Henderson as an example as he discusses the style of football he wants Hibs to play, warning that there will be errors on the way,

"At Motherwell, with the team on a bit of a bad run, when Henderson came on as a sub he didn’t start well and his first two passes drew quite heavy groans from our fans – and I know what that’s like because when I was playing I went through a three or four-month period where I was playing safe because I didn’t want the groans,” Johnson explains.

Henderson is challenged by Sondre Solholm Johansen during the 3-2 victory over Motherwell last month

"With a creative player, almost an ‘ooh’ is better than an ‘ugh’. That’s where Ewan’s got to be more bold, but the fans need to allow him to make those mistakes. Our style of football is going to come with some mistakes. What I’d ask from the players is that they react super quick to win the ball back within that six-second frenzy. We’re encouraging Ewan to make positive passes and the groans are going to be not when he gives the ball away, but when the other players don’t react quickly to winning it back. I know that’s a long-term thing in terms of our playing style, but that’s where I’m trying to get to.”