Watching Junior Hoilett conjure up his bag of tricks for Hibs has been a throwback to when Easter Road adored a man known as the Little Magician – Russell Latapy.
I loved playing with Russell. He was a maverick, a wizard with the ball and possessed the type of quality that got supporters off their seats. Hoilett is exactly the same. And I bet punters down in Leith are hoping Hibs can pull a rabbit out the hat by getting him tied down on a new deal.
I know if I was David Gray I’d be doing everything I could to convince him to stay for another year, even if he will turn 35 in the summer. Hoilett’s been outstanding and comparing him to Latapy in Hibs terms is the highest praise.
He’s got that little change of direction, change of pace. He can go both sides, left or right.
And he’s got end product as he showed with the crucial opening goal against St Johnstone.
The way he cut in off the left and bent his shot into the far corner was fantastic. But then he showed another part of his game when he was alert to pinch the ball from Sven Sprangler and send Martin Boyle through for the second goal.
Hoilett was man of the match. He’s been outstanding for months whether it’s starting or coming off the bench and he looks like he’s still got another year or two in the legs. Don’t forget Latapy played on in the top flight of Scottish football until he was 40!
After leaving Hibs in his early 30s he spent two years with Rangers then another seven with Dundee United and Falkirk. It’s hard to replace that kind of magic. Players like Hoilett and Latapy can win you a game in an instant.
It didn’t matter if Russell wasn’t having the best of games, you just knew in a split second he could take the ball by somebody, slide a team mate in or smash a shot past the keeper himself.
He had the natural ability to go and create and score goals. Russell was a real legend with the fans. But if he was loved at Hibs he was absolutely legend material back home in Trinidad and Tobago.
Believe it or not we actually went to the Caribbean island on a winter break one year and when we got off the plane you’d have thought Russell was a rock star.
We didn’t realise how big he was in Trinidad. He’s a god there because he played in the World Cup and was a fan pleaser with his skills. Hoilett’s similar. There’s a buzz every time people like that get the ball in the stadium. You can just feel it.
That’s what you want, players that get fans off their bums and create excitement. Not just that but he must be a brilliant role model for the younger players coming through.
I’m told he’s a good trainer and sets the right example every day. He played in a World Cup with Canada. And he had a fantastic Premier League career, playing nearly 200 times in the so-called best league in the world for Blackburn, QPR and Cardiff.
That kind of top level experience is invaluable.
So as long as Junior Hoilett has still got the hunger, the desire and the fitness levels, which he has, then he is well worth another year. Then it all comes down to whether that suits him, of course.
It’s the exact same with Martin Boyle. Listen, a few months ago I said it was maybe time Martin moved on in the summer, he is one of the big earners at Easter Road and he wasn’t quite hitting his previous heights after a few injuries.
But his form since December has been outstanding and coincided with Hibs’ incredible unbeaten run in the league. He said himself on international duty last week that being left out the Australia team in November was a kick up the backside.
Well thank you Tony Popovic for providing that timely boot to the bum because ever since then Martin has been like the Boyle of old, terrorising defences with his pace and movement and scoring goals. On this form, you don’t get much better outside the Old Firm.
Martin will be on a good contract at the minute. So, there’s a lot to factor into what happens next.
If Hibs get third place and are going to be guaranteed European football they might have a few more shekels in the bank to deal people in.
They have an option to extend Boyle’s deal by a year so they’re probably waiting to see where they finish before deciding on that. Again it depends on what Martin wants, it’s been suggested he might want a crack at the A-League down under. But he’s six goals off hitting 100 for Hibs and that’s a very elite club of players.
I played with a guy who got 100 – . That’s a fantastic achievement and it would be a huge accolade if Martin could join that exclusive club. It really is a place where only legends exist.
Hopefully Hoilett and Boyle can produce their best again at Ibrox this weekend. I really fancy Hibs. They can go there with confidence and belief that they can keep the unbeaten league run going.
Rangers have been leaking goals every week recently. This is a chance for Hibs to make a huge statement in the battle for third place.