Steven Whittaker opens up on Hibs decision as Dunfermline player-coach details future plans

Steven Whittaker has revealed that it was always his intention to move into coaching at the end of his Hibs deal after he rejoined the club in 2017.

Former Hibs defender Steven Whittaker has been combining playing and coaching at Dunfermline (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

The defender left Easter Road last summer before taking up a player-coach role at Dunfermline Athletic assisting Stevie Crawford. It was all part of the plan for the former Scotland full-back, who had been determined to get the most out of his second spell at the club before taking the next step in his career.

“I made the decision when I came back from Norwich, I had three years to enjoy my spell at Hibs which I did trying to play as much as I could," Whittaker told the Dunfermline website.

"That took me up to my 36th birthday and then I had a decision, do I keep playing with a coaching role? That is why Dunfermline was a good fit for me, I could continue to play and enjoy putting on the strip alongside the rest that came with it, the coaching side.

“Now it is just a matter of taking it season by season, seeing how the body holds up. Have you got the drive and motivation to keep going for another season? I will face that towards the end of each season whether I decide to play on or not.

“It is one that I am comfortable with, if I think it is time to get involved in the coaching side and see improvement in these young guys who are in the team and doing well at the minute. That will be the choice that I will make nearer the time.”

The door has been left open for Whittaker to return to Hibs, with the 36-year-old currently progressing through his coaching badges.

“I did the ‘B’ course when I was at Norwich and the ‘A’ course is all complete apart from my assessment when covid stopped me doing that in the summer. I just have to wait until I can do my assessment and that will be me with ‘A’ and ‘B’," he explained.

“After that there is only the Pro Licence but I will wait and see if that is the route that I am going to go down before I go to doing that level. I am ticking all the boxes as I go along and got most of them done. It is good to have that in the bag.”

Whittaker has made 14 appearances for the Pars this season, and has enjoyed combining his playing duties with his coaching remit.

“The manager, Jason Dair and Greg Shields have been great with me planning sessions, talking through areas that we need to improve on in the sessions that we can put on,” he said. “So I’m constantly learning and doing lots on the laptop too.

“It has been good from that point of view, it is all relatively new for me. I have done little bits here and there. Now in the latter stages of playing and I know that my playing career is going to come to an end sometime.

“It is just preparing and getting a little bit more experience of that so when it comes along I am in a better place for it.”

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