New Hibs keeper Chris Maxwell reveals his previous date with Tynecastle

Welsh goalkeeper Chris Maxwell will spend the season at Hibs after signing on loan from Preston North End. Pic: SNS

But the goalkeeper, Easter Road Paul Heckingbottom’s sixth summer signing, admitted he’d never have dreamt that Wednesday evening at the end of October there would ever be a chance that he might do so.

And he revealed he knows more about Scottish football than he might have learned from the 0-0 draw he witnessed in Gorgie.

The former Preston North End keeper said: “My dad’s side of the family are Scottish. He grew up in Bathgate and the rest of them are still in Edinburgh. So Scottish football is nothing knew to me, I’ve been to my fair share of games over the years.

“I’ve seen the Edinburgh derby twice in the last two or three years. I sat in the Hibs end in October, which was great, the atmosphere. It was a great experience but being on the pitch involoved in something like that, is something to look forward to.”

Maxwell, signed on loan for the season, has found one familiar face in Edinburgh – his former Deepdale team-mate, Daryl Horgan.

He said: “I’ve known Daryl for a few years and we were room-mates at Preston for a year. We spent some hours in the gym together, we had some good times so I am glad to meet back up with him.

“He gave the club a ringing endorsement, told me that since the minute he stepped through the door he has enjoyed himself and he’s told me all about the Hearts games he’s played in.”

Maxwell, who has also played for Wrexham, Fleetwood and Cambridge, admitted he was delighted to finally get the deal with Hibs clinched, negotiations between the clubs having dragged on for a few weeks.

He said: “It’s good to get it done, I’ve met a few of the boys and the manager and I’m really excited to get going.

“The manager explained to me what the ambitions were for the club and I think it’s for everyone to see that it is a massive club and the aspiration should be to play in Europe. The manager outlined that these last few weeks and it’s something I want to be part of.”

Maxwell will be battling it out with Israeli internationalist Ofir Marciano for the gloves, a fight he admitted he’s relishing, Heckingbottom having told them they’ll be getting equal minutes on the pitch throughout pre-season.

He said: “It’s not a new situation, my job is to perform day and day out on the training pitch and then it’s the manager’s decision.”

Heckingbottom said: “We were short of a goalkeeper with Adam Bogdan’s loan expiring and Chris ticked every box for us.

“He has good experience, he’s a presence in goal with good distribution that will help us build from the back. We have an excellent goalkeeper in Ofir but we weren’t looking for someone content to be number two. We want a fair fight and whoever starts the season in goal will deserve it.”