Scott Allan signs for Arbroath: Former Hibs midfielder pens two-year-deal

Former Hibs midfielder Scott Allan has joined Arbroath on a two-year contract – just days after expressing fears that clubs had been put off by his heart condition.

The 30-year-old playmaker, who has Type 1 Diabetes, was released by Hibs in the summer after limited first-team opportunities last season following a flare up of his condition. Arbroath failed in a bid to sign him on loan in January and the Championship club believe his signing on a permanent deal is a statement of intent”.

Allan wrote in a BBC column earlier this week about the frustrations he has experienced in his search for a new club, insisting that he was not ready to retire from the game. He is now looking forward to working with Dick Campbell again.

After joining Dundee United as a 10-year-old in 2001, it was Campbell who took Allan on an emergency loan to Forfar Athletic in 2010 before he made the move down south signing for West Bromwich Albion.

“I’m delighted to be back working with the gaffer,” said Allan. “I worked with him at the start of my career, so at this stage when I just want to be back enjoying my football he’s the man I want to be working with.

“A big factor was staying at home, close to my family. I know quite a few boys in the changing room too who are good lads and I’m really looking forward to playing with them.

“My target here is to be as successful as possible for the team and with the team. It’s going to take a couple of weeks to get up to speed.

“It’s been a long summer for me. I’ve not had a great pre-season in terms of being at a club. It’s about getting started as quickly as I can. For now it is about getting as fit as I possibly can.”

Allan signed for Hibs in the 2014 and went on to have three separate spells at the Easter Road club, playing 129 games, scoring 17 goals and making 39 assists.

The passing maestro’s outstanding first season at Hibs, when they were in the Championship, persuaded Celtic to sign him. It didn’t work out and he had loan spells at Rotherham and Dundee before joining Hibs again, this time on loan in 2018 before making the move permanent at the start of 2019/20.

Allan is an ambassador for Diabetes UK and made 23 appearances for Hibs last season, mainly from the bench. “The type of player I am, I need six games to get up to speed and you'll see the best of me,” he wrote in his BBC column. “I don't feel I was given that opportunity in the last season or so. That's been the problem – there's no momentum gathered.”

Arbroath chairman Mike Caird said: “Having had offers from both north and south of the border, Scott has decided his future lies at Gayfield and this is a signing that we hope will capture the imagination of our supporters and show a real sign of intent as a club.

“We were keen to sign Scott on loan back in January, so I’m delighted we have been able to capture him now on a permanent deal to compliment our already experienced squad of talented players.”