Why Hibs signing Stephen McGinn is a shrewd piece of business

Midfielder has signed on until the end of the season

Stephen McGinn has been brought in as a player but could well help out with the coaching side of things

He isn’t Greg Docherty. He’s not Stephane Omeonga, either. Or Ross McCrorie.

But it's highly unlikely that Stephen McGinn has been signed by Hibs as a bona fide member of the starting XI.

The 31-year-old midfielder has been training with the Easter Road side since they returned for pre-season in July. What at first looked like Jack Ross simply doing his former captain at St Mirren a favour now looks like a canny bit of business by the Capital club.

As well as keeping his own fitness levels up, McGinn has also been involved in the coaching side of things with Hibs. It isn’t unusual to see him in a similar outfit to those worn by John Potter and Craig Samson helping with the pre-match warm-up ahead of Scottish Premiership fixtures.

During the matches, he has been dispatched to the back of the main stand with a microphone and earpiece where he takes in the game from a different vantage point. He then feeds information down to the bench, primarily to Samson, giving the coaching team an alternative view on the match.

Jack Ross made use of this function last season with Steven Whittaker and has also utilised it at previous clubs, and is likely to use McGinn for this function in other matches this season.

Much of the initial reaction to the signing news was lukewarm, from a fanbase eager to see new faces brought in to Hibs. Confirmation of McGinn’s addition to the playing staff won’t have come as a surprise to anyone, but it would be folly to assume he’s been earmarked to play 25-plus games a season.

Having McGinn registered as a player gives Ross increased options in the middle of the park. His arrival could give Ross the option of rotating his squad for next month’s Betfred Cup group matches given McGinn’s versatility, but it’s also likely that injuries and suspensions could take their toll further down the line and having an experienced midfielder ready to slot in and do a job ticks one box.

McGinn’s aptitude for coaching ticks another. He could well replace Grant Murray as de facto first-team coach, combining two roles and thus saving money at a time when finances are stretched and like Murray was previously, McGinn could also be involved with coaching the development squad later this season.

Crucially though, McGinn brings more leadership to the squad. Ross has spoken highly of the three elder statesmen in his squad – club captain David Gray, centre-back Darren McGregor, and long-serving left-back Lewis Stevenson – but there is a big difference between respected figures and leaders.

Stevenson, for instance, commands a lot of respect from his team-mates but it’s hard to imagine him roaring at them in the dressing room to gee them up ahead of a crucial game and if he did, he’d probably apologise afterwards for raising his voice.

McGinn was captain at St Mirren prior to this summer. He’s shared a dressing room in the past with figures such as Harry Maguire, Troy Deeney, Conor Coady and Danny Graham. He’s got experience of playing at a high level and he's already part of the group at East Mains.

Speaking about his former captain earlier this season, Ross said: “Stephen is someone whose contribution, input, and knowledge of the game I very much trust, and he’s helped my staff and I over the opening three league games by being part of that.”

Chances are, McGinn is not costing Hibs a lot of money in wages. But he has, and will continue to contribute a lot to the team, regardless of how often he actually takes to the pitch as a player.

It has been clear for some time that Hibs are focusing on laying the groundwork for future success. By bringing in McGinn they have an experienced pro who can help bring on the younger members of the squad, assist with coaching, bolster the playing pool, and by essentially performing two roles, potentially free up money for further signings.

He might not have the glamour of a big-money signing from overseas – but McGinn’s contribution is likely to be priceless.