Kevin Nisbet backed to shake off Hibs transfer drama and get back on the goal trail

Former Hibs winger Michael Weir has backed Kevin Nisbet to shake off the transfer deadline day back-and-forth between the Easter Road side and Brimingham City and rediscover his shooting boots for the Capital club.

Kevin Nisbet in action for Hibs against St MIrren

The 23-year-old was the subject of prolonged interest from the Championship club and handed in a transfer request just hours before the deadline, but remained at Easter Road with Hibs chiefs dissatisfied with the final offer from Birmingham.

Nisbet came on as a substitute in Tuesday night's 2-1 win at St Mirren and has been tipped to get his head down and work hard for the rest of the campaign.

Weir said: "When a player is doing well, there are always going to be clubs taking an interest.

"Good finishers are hard to come by so I can totally understand why teams would be looking at Kevin Nisbet, who has done well so far in making the step up from the Championship.

"It's a positive that Hibs are bringing players into the club who can have a significant sell-on value further down the line but if they had let Nisbet go they would have been very light up front.

"By holding out for a big offer the club is ensuring that, if he does go, they have the funds to bring in a suitable replacement."

Weir also claimed that Hibs had to knock back any offers they deemed unsuitable in order to keep their ambitions on track.

Move ‘has to suit player and club’

"Football is a short career and when players are the subject of big bids they might think they won't get another shot at that sort of move or money,” he explained.

"But the situation has to be right for both the player and the club. Nisbet could have ended up making four or five times his salary if he moved down south so he can't be blamed for taking an interest but at the same time, if the club is to show ambition then they need to fend off interest in their better players."

Weir, who had two spells with Hibs between 1984 and 1987 and again between 1987 and 1996, dismissed fears that the transfer interest could disrupt the dressing room.

"Professional footballers just get on with it, even if there is transfer interest in a team-mate," he said.

"It's just a normal day at the office. It happens at every club, it won't interfere with anything in the dressing room, and most players have fun with it.

"Professional players know that they can be here one day, gone the next.”

While the player is going through a bit of a barren spell in front of goal, Weir believes he can keep on impressing for Hibs.

Nisbet’s ‘great attitude’

Weir continued: “Nisbet started off well but he's tailed off a bit in the last few weeks. There was always going to be a period like that coming up from the Championship – it is a big jump.

"His head won't go down; if he was to sulk or down tools then he's only harming himself and his own career.

"He knows he has to perform to the best level he can because there will still be managers watching him.

"Since he came to Hibs he has shown a great attitude and I don't see that changing any time soon."

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our sports coverage with a digital sports subscription.