Hibs' Florian Kamberi speaks on Christian Doidge, respecting manager's calls and Swiss' preferred style of play

Florian Kamberi, right, joins in some fun and games with Christian Doidge and Fraser Murray during Hibs training. Pic: SNS

The Swiss hitman had to look on as the £350,000 summer arrival from Forest Green Rovers was left one-one-one with Aberdeen goalkeeper Joe Lewis four times, but failed to beat him on each occasion.

And it proved costly as Paul Heckingbottom’s side watched Dons forward Sam Cosgrove snatch a late equaliser, cancelling out Ryan Porteous’ earlier opener to leave the Capital outfit without a Premiership win since the opening day of the season and rooted in the bottom end of the league table.

Doidge has yet to claim a league goal for the Easter Road club but has been given the nod ahead of Kamberi in each of their last three matches, Heckingbottom adamant the Welshman has been in the side for “other reasons than goals”, highlighting the different job he is being asked to do, playing to his strengths and getting his team up the pitch.

Kamberi admitted that approach didn’t suit his style of play, but insisted he respected his head coach’s decision.

The 24-year-old said: “It’s the manager’s decision and at the end of the day he takes the responsibility. He knows my style of play and if he decides to change our style of play because of our opponent, then I respect that and I will not do anything stupid.

“But if you ask me what style of play suits me, it’s into my feet of chest, not into my head or playing the channels. It’s putting me in one-on-one situations with a chance to score a goal. These are my strengths.

“The last three games Doidger has played and that has not been our style. I respect that, I have no problem with that. I have been training hard as always to show I am ready. At the end of the day he decides which striker he wants to play and what style he wants the team to play.”

Kamberi revealed he’s not been offered an explanation by Heckingbottom, but claimed it wasn’t a problem, that he was willing to be patient and wait for his chance.”

However, Kamberi emphatically rejected the notion that he might have taken some sort of perverse delight in seeing his rival struggle to find the net.

“No,” he said. “I am not the type who is happy on the bench that he missed those chances, that’s not me. I know how he is feeling, you feel bad when you miss one of those chances, never mind four of them. I know Doidger really well now and I know it will make him stronger in his head and I hope he scores the next chance he gets.”