Smart: Thanks to Hibee fans for
restoring my faith!
Hibs fans welcome for striker
make him all the more determined
(Stuart Crowther)
ALAN SMART MAY NOT even get a kick
of the ball in Hibs SPL clash at
Motherwell
today - but that will not make the former Watford striker any the less
determined to succeed, and his conviction that Easter Road is the place to
be is stronger now than ever.
Smart received a superb
ovation from the Hibs support when he took the field in the second half
against Celtic two weeks ago, and the Perth-born striker knows only too
well that this was a group of fans hurting at the time with Celtic leading
the game 4-0 and Hibs playing for little more than their pride.
"Easter Road is a superb stadium, and the squad is
full of quality players," Smart said
ahead of the visit to Lanarkshire where he has hopes of repaying Hibs boss
Alex McLeish for showing faith in his abilities while others had given up.
Smart continued: "The possibility of UEFA Cup action
is a major bonus for me, but it was that nice welcome the fans gave me in
the Celtic game that really mattered, and I thank them for that.
Alan Smart - loves the Hibees (sns)
"Now I want to score goals and make
sure my long term future is with Hibs."
Fans have of course heard such statements from players at the club on
short-term deals in the past, both Didier Agathe and Marc Libbra making
public statements on how wonderful life was at Easter Road - just ahead of
accepting deals at other clubs. The impression being given out by
Smart however is one of genuine belief that he has found a club where he
can once again enjoy life, and of course football! His last spell in
the Scottish game, at Inverness, ended badly through no fault of the
player, his becoming embroiled in the messy amalgamation of the former
Highland League clubs Inverness Caledonian and Inverness Thistle.
Smart was wrongly accused of backing the merger, in spite of his and other
players determination to remain neutral in the affair, and eventually he
was hounded out of the Highland capital by fans who allowed their hatred
to be fanned by inaccurate media reports.
All of this however is
now well behind a player who has scored goals wherever he appeared,
including in the English Premiership with Watford where he had a much
better relationship with the fans, and relationship that he seems
determined to continue in Edinburgh.
Hibs boss Alex McLeish
will decide this morning if Ulises de la Cruz has recovered sufficiently
from his midweek trail to South America, while former Motherwell player
Derek Townsley looks likely to be added to the squad.
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