“Soon everybody will see the real me”: Elie Youan ready to deliver for Hibs

Elie Youan has only scored one goal since he arrived at Hibs on loan from St Gallen in the summer, but after some direction from the manager the 23-year-old feels ready to deliver in front of goal.

It has taken him some time to get used to the high-octane nature of the Scottish Premiership, but the French forward now feels better equipped both mentally and physically for the remainder of the season. “Soon everybody will see the real me,” is his message to the Hibs fans who have seen glimpses of his potential – just not often enough.

Time is what he says was needed. Youan has played in the Swiss league and in the Belgian league over the past 12 months or so. Last season he scored six goals for parent club St Gallen in the Swiss top flight in the first half of the season before moving on loan to Belgian side Mechelen, only to feature just four times, all of which were off the bench. It has taken time, but he now feels he is in a better place. He feels he is up to speed with the Scottish game. He feels happy.

“Hibs are my third team in a year, so I needed time to adapt,” he explained. “For me, it was a good adaptation. I didn’t get a goal to start with but I made assists. I was waiting for my first goal and it came against Celtic, but unfortunately we lost. But now I’m confident. If I play I’m happy and if I’m happy I’ll score, for sure.”

Elie Youan has scored only one goal for Hibs this season, but was back in he team at Ibrox and feels he is in a good place. Picture: Paul Devlin / SNS

He added: “The difference [with the Scottish game] is that the ball is 90 per cent in the air. It’s always about second balls and you have to fight against your opponent. And it’s very physical, I think. I am used to playing in the league now, so I can show my skills and my ability. I am fit and I feel good.”

Youan was perhaps something of a surprise selection for the 3-2 defeat by Rangers at Ibrox last week after not being in the starting XI for two months, but he was praised for his performance by Lee Johnson afterwards. The manager was particularly impressed by his defensive discipline and positioning off the ball and was happy to let Youan off the leash and play his own game when Hibs were on the attack. That’s just how he likes it.

“In the last month the gaffer left me alone to play on the pitch,” Youan explained. “He let me play and just talked about the work I need to do defending. With the ball, I am free. He told me I don’t have to be afraid to make mistakes. I am a striker and I need to try every time, even if it doesn’t work.

“Now, I am free and I’m confident and I’m fit. So, I think soon everybody will see the real me. I work hard every day in training and off the pitch and now I’m confident.”

Youan’s only goal for Hibs came at Celtic Park in the 6-1 defeat when he was introduced as a half-time substitute. But he came close on a couple of occasions at Ibrox. Cutting in from the left, he had one decent effort from distance and was denied by a good Alan McGregor save when put clean through by Josh Campbell at Ibrox. He feels a goal is imminent.

“It’s been a long time since I played,” he added. “That was the first start for myself for two months. I was expecting to score a goal. Every game I think like this. I didn’t score but I’ll keep working and I’ll stay confident.

“We are close. Against Rangers we just missed some details to get a win, but we were close. We keep going and working to get the win in the next game.

“First of all, we need to defend first and defend well, and after that to make the best decisions in the final third. And to win, we need to score.

“I’m focused on the game against Livingston because I know we need to win. If I can help the team with assists or with goals, or without scoring if we win, then I’ll be happy because if we win then we can get higher in the league.”