Scott Brown names Hibs star he tried to seal transfer deal over as Tony Bloom's Hearts impact hailed
The former Hibs and Celtic midfielder has been assessing the landscape at Easter Road and Hearts.
Scott Brown has revealed the Hibs player he once tried to add to his ranks - as he’s left wowed by Hearts under Derek McInnes and Tony Bloom.
The former Hibs and Celtic midfielder is now boss at Scottish Championship side Ayr United but has taken time to assess how both Premiership clubs in Edinburgh are shaping up. David Gray’s turnaround at Hibs from early struggles has resulted in a third place finish last season and they are firmly in the mix for European football this term, while Hearts sit six points clear at the top of the league.
Speaking on The Breakdown alongside ex-Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew and former Hibs midfielder Kevin Thomson, Brown revealed a raid attempt while Fleetwood Town boss over Jamie McGrath. The Irishman has excelled at Hibs since a free transfer move from Aberdeen and Brown knows all about him, having tried to sign him after breaking through in Scottish football with St Mirren.
What Hibs player did Scott Brown try to sign previously
Brown joked as he assessed Hibs: “I tried to sign Jamie. Missed playing with him at Aberdeen, yeah. I tried to sign him and he patched us! At Fleetwood, went to Wigan. He He was on fire when he first came through at St Mirren. Dave has done a great job. Talking about boards that stood behind people, Unbelievable. Dave says it himself (close to getting sacked) but he's done an unbelievable job.”
Thomson had big billing for McGrath, that dependant on how Hibs’ second half of the season plays out, the former midfielder reckons he’s a Player of the Year candidate. He said: “If he continues to go the way he's going and the Hibees can hang in there, he'll be up there for Player of the Year.
“I think he's a real good player. Injury problems I think have stopped him becoming the player that he could have become. I think he's a real good player. He scores a variety of different goals. I didn't even realise he was quite as aggressive without the ball as he is. He's actually got a bit about him.”
Scott Brown on Hearts under Derek McInnes
When it comes to Hearts, as much as it pains him to admit, Brown has been left made up for McInnes and the work he’s completed so far at Tynecastle. He has highlighted three players he’s been impressed by amid a clash against the Jambos that proved to him what they’re all about. The Ayr boss explained: “Del’s done a good job, he did a great job at Aberdeen and Kilmarnock.
“I've seen them and we’ve played against them as well. They win games, they can jump in between a three and a four as well, and they're actually very, very good at set plays. So good at set plays, just super aggressive. See over the first two, three yards, see the speed that Stuart Findlay and Craig Halkett get...How good has Cammy Devlin been?
“We're talking about the role of holding midfielder, him and Callum McGregor have been probably the best there. I really like Cammy Devlin. He's got a wee bit of arrogance about him as well. He stands up, gets that wee chest out, and I like that wee bit of aggressive. Hearts have done really well this season. It pains me to say that, If I'm honest, it's not great! But I'm actually delighted for Del, because Del's done a fantastic job at Aberdeen, Killie, and now at Hearts. So it shows he's a top-quality manager.”
Brown also had praise for Hearts investor Bloom, who’s Jamestown Analytics software has helped Hearts find hidden gems in the transfer market. He added: “Fair play to Tony Bloom. He's done an unbelievable job helping bring the players in from wherever they've come in, honestly. Some of them have been Serie C and stuff like that. Some unbelievable finds.”