Daniel's here to stay!
Andersson hopes to retain No.1 jersey for next season

AS THE SEASON BEGINS TO WIND UP one man who has benefited from Bobby Williamson's willingness to experiment is goalkeeper Daniel Andersson. The Swede was snapped up by Bobby Williamson shortly after the departure of Tony Caig back at the start of the year and apart from one outing at Parkhead in March it has only been in the last couple of weeks that the former AIK man has been able to make his mark in a Hibs jersey.

That was the case that at Almondvale on Saturday, a sterling performance giving Andersson the hibs.net man of the match award for a series of saves throughout the game that no doubt played a big part in sending the points back east. Speaking about his performance in that match Andersson said: "I tried to contribute my part to the game and do my best, and  as I said before we, the players are trying to impress the manager for our own futures sake and of course you want to do 100% for the team as well but I'm pleased with my effort at the weekend."

While Andersson had a good game overall he was unsurprisingly disappointed to lose a goal so late on in the match, stating: "Yes - always! What can you do? He just took a chance going directly for goal and hit a fast one down on the floor with the tip of his toe and it touched me on the side - but sometimes you save them, sometimes they go in. You try to block it, but of course its disappointing. I'm very pleased with my game though."

Daniel Andersson - wanting to stay (sns)

"One difficult chance was in the second half where there was a low cross where Livi player tried to flick it on and was almost  going over me - that's a hard one to deal with as he's coming from one direction and put it in the total other way. That's a difficult one, but you have to stay on your toes."  With it looking like being the case that Nick Colgan will no longer be at Hibs next season now is the time for Daniel to stake his claim for the No.1 jersey for next season, and while it has taken time for him to gain the No. 1 spot he has no plans to relinquish it - stating: "When I came I said that I know it takes time to adapt to a new  league - with maybe a different style of playing - and well the whole concept, everything - the social part, the training part - and so you have to be aware that sometimes it can take a wee while to reach normal standard. I feel like I'm moving up though."

While the goalkeeping position at Easter Road may currently be up for grabs one man Andersson did single out for praise was goalkeeping coach Ian Westwater, along with fellow keeper Nick Colgan - he said: "Nick is a very good goalkeeper and I have to say that the goalkeeping coach that we have - Ian Westwater - is doing a great job. We're working hard each and every day and I think that's very important to develop your game and to improve and definitely Hibs are lucky to have Westwater as he's been a very good goalkeeper coach"

While Andersson may be making the headlines at Easter Road for the moment, his contract is due to expire at Christmas and whether he will be offered a new one will really depend on performances between now and then. Nevertheless the keeper revealed he'd be happy to stay in Edinburgh - stating:
"We can only hope - its up to the manager and the club and I am not any different from the other players - we all try to  impress and do our best and then its up to the manager and the ones that run the club if they want to go for you. That's the way it is throughout the football world."

"Its a nice town - I'm very happy. Its up to the manager - I'm not nervous when I play as I've played in very big games back in Sweden and very noisy crowds - I have the experience and if the club wants to go for me I'm up for it. I've settled in."

In other news, youngster Fraser Ogilvie became the latest casualty of the Easter Road exodus yesterday, the striker being informed he was free to leave Easter Road at the end of the season. The 17-year-old battled back to fitness after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, but  such an injury is always so very difficult to bounce back from, especially at such an early stage of a career and having lost a year on contemporaries.  On the plus side this morning, Gary Smith has accepted a new contact.  The defender was reported to have been considering a new 1-year deal but appears to have negotiated a 2-year agreement and will be remaining at Easter Road.