Kevin Nisbet: How Raith Rovers spell and first-rate attitude led to Hibs switch

Former manager praises Nisbet for approach that led to second top-flight chance

Kevin Nisbet is put through his paces at the Hibernian Training Centre

Over the weekend, Kevin Nisbet posted a “throwback” photo of him as a youngster in a Hibs academy kit, with the caption: “Good things come to those who wait.”

Given the striker’s admission that he had been keen to return to Easter Road when the Capital club came in for him during the January transfer window, his delight at sealing a four-year deal was understandable.

But despite Nisbet’s assertions, it hasn’t all been a waiting game for the 23-year-old – a view backed up by one former manager.

He is reaping the rewards of his decision to drop down to the third tier, working his way back up to to top flight through sheer hard work and application.

Signed by Barry Smith for Raith Rovers in July 2018, the forward had struck 35 goals in all competitions by the following summer, earning a move to Dunfermline Athletic and taking him a step closer to a Scottish Premiership return, having played 17 times for Partick Thistle between 2014 and 2018.

That Nisbet ended up with more than 30 goals to his name came as little surprise to his former boss John McGlynn, who took the reins at Stark’s Park just weeks after the striker's arrival.

Above the level

"Barry Smith signed Kevin in the July, myself and Paul Smith came in in the September. In the two or three months in between, Kevin had started scoring goals but then he just kicked on,” McGlynn told the Evening News.

"Immediately in training, I could see that he was above that level. I’ve been in the game a long time, and when you’ve spent as long as I have in the game you can spot good players from a mile away.

"It's more of a generalisationbut for a lot of young lads, if they don’t get an opportunity to break in when they’re 17, 18, and they’ve played as much youth football as they can possibly play, and as much reserve football as they can possibly play, if they don’t get into the first team then sometimes they’re put out on loan.

"There’s nothing wrong with loans – they can make players – but if you look at the stats, Kevin’s loans were not necessarily great. A lot of players can get lost at that point: they think things aren’t happening for them, they get downhearted, and they maybe start thinking about other walks of life, other careers.

A club he was comfortable at

“I think the big thing for Kevin was that at Raith, he had found a club he was comfortable at where he was playing regularly. The goals came, and then the rest fell into place.

"A lot of players don’t get that opportunity and some of them just fall by the wayside, but Kevin obviously grabbed something at Raith Rovers.”

Nisbet left Kirkcaldy after just 12 months, making the relatively short move to East End Park. During his season at Dunfermline Athletic, he picked up where he had left off in front of goal, which is exactly what McGlynn expected.

"He was scoring goals regularly for [Raith], and as long as he was going to apply himself, keep his feet on the ground, and work hard then there would be no reason why he wouldn’t go on to bigger and better things,” he explained.

"Fortunately for Kevin, that’s happened twice now. I think Hibs is a big stage, and provides him with a big opportunity he can now grasp. He’s gone into a big club, one where he was on the books as a kid. It is a proper football club with regards training facilities, and Easter Road is a top-class stadium.

"He’s stepping back up the ladder and that’s what you want to see from young players.

"They might get a couple of knocks that dent their confidence but then they get another shot at the ladder and they end up taking several steps at the one time.

"It’s a big stage for him but I think he'll thrive on it if he can just get a good patch then he’ll kick on.”

Easter Road coaching can help Nisbet hit heights

McGlynn was also effusive in his praise for Hibs’ head coach Jack Ross and right-hand man John Potter.

"Jack is a top coach along with John and Kevin has gone to a good club that will look after him and hopefully take him on the next steps in his career.”

McGlynn, who also coached Easter Road striker Jamie Gullan at Raith Rovers over two loan spells, believes Nisbet will link up well with Christian Doidge but insisted that the forward’s all-round ability can help him make the grade in the top flight.

"He's a confident lad, confident in his ability. He's very good with his back to goal, he's good making runs into the channels.

"He can take the ball into feet, he can link the play, and he's aware of his team-mates.

"He’s back in the Premiership and if he does well and starts scoring goals, eventually he'll be looking at Scotland caps, and perhaps moving onto even bigger things.”