YehButNoBut
25-01-2015, 05:59 PM
Liked this article in todays Record on Jason, anyone for "Hacky Hampden" :>)
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/young-hibernian-striker-jasom-cummings-5039483
Young Hibernian striker Jason Cummings says he's not the cocky player that many fans presume
YOU can’t really know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been.
Jason Cummings is testimony to that. At just 19, he’s the Championship’s top scorer and Hibs’ hottest property. But even this early in his career, there’s a perception of him that doesn’t quite do his story justice. Sure, he’s cocky. He admits that. In fact it’s probably one of the reasons he has netted 13 goals this season. And at times Cummings hasn’t helped himself. Who can forget his post-match comments after scoring his first Hibs goal against Hamilton last season? “It was a decent zing. I opened a tin of beans with that.” Or his words of wisdom after a goal against Rangers at Ibrox. “I had the touch of an angel,” he said. (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/jason-cummings-philosophy-life-football-4418981) A foot tattoo with the word ‘zing’, some ill-advised Twitter posts and a slightly over-zealous goal celebration against Hearts have helped perpetuate the Cummings myth.
But there’s more to him than that. When MailSport caught up with the striker at Hibs’ training ground, he spoke with a degree of humility. Whisper it, but he was even verging on shyness. That’s because he’s now becoming aware of his responsibilities. Gradually, he’s realising his days of playing ‘Hacky Hampden’ with his Hutchison Vale mates are long gone.
But that’s Cummings’ point. For people to understand why he is the way he is, they have to appreciate where he has come from.
He said: “I know most people think I’m a bit arrogant. But I’m a confident boy, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I believe in my ability. “There’s another side to me though. I like having a laugh but I can be serious too. “A lot of people just see me messing about. But I’ve fought hard to get to where I am today. “Looking back, I’ve done a few daft things. But I’ve learned from it. People have to remember I’m still a young boy. Just two years ago, I was playing with my mates at Hutchy. We used to muck about every day. We’d toy fight with each other – some days we’d toy fight with the manager. “At training, we’d have a game of Hacky Hampden. Instead of playing football, you just slide tackle people and hack them down. It sounds daft but it was a good laugh. “That’s the environment I’ve come from. Now I’m a pro.
“I’m still learning on and off the pitch. I know I need to sharpen up on stuff outside of football. I need to be a bit more savvy but that will come with experience.” At a time when our game is devoid of players boasting the gallus streak we used to be renowned for, we should be grateful for characters like Cummings. Born and bred in Edinburgh, albeit to a largely Hearts-mad family, his goals for Alan Stubbs’ side have heightened his profile in the city.
So much so that he has been targeted at times by yobs. Previously, Cummings would have reacted. That might have been acceptable when he was working as a gardener following his rejection from Hearts at 16. But not now.
He said: “It can be difficult sometimes being an Edinburgh boy and Hibs’ top scorer. I’m always going to get stick. “My car has been egged a few times. The other week, someone threw an Aero yoghurt at my window. They must know me because it’s one of my favourite flavours! “But I just have a laugh about it, especially when I tell the boys.
“Maybe a year ago, I’d have responded to stuff like that. Or when people shouted at me in the street slagging off my hair. “But I realise I can’t do that now. I’m in the public eye and kids look up to me.” He’s certainly becoming a Hibs’ hero on the pitch. Cummings burst on to the scene with that brace against Accies in the Premiership play-off last May. But in the return at Easter Road, he missed the crucial penalty in the shoot-out – which condemned Hibs to relegation.
There was no laughing or joking from Cummings that night. In fact, only a pep talk from former Rangers star Barry Ferguson (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/authors/barry-ferguson/) lifted his spirits. He said: “From being on this incredible high, just a few days later I missed the decisive penalty that put us down. “I was devastated. I felt like I’d let all the boys down. It was an all-time low. “I was hearing that there would be job losses at the club because we’d been relegated. And I felt guilty – like it was all on my shoulders. “The fans were distraught and it took me a while to shrug it off. But I’m a better player and person for it. “When you’ve hit rock bottom nothing will faze you after that.
“That night I just locked myself away. I met my agent, Alan Houldsworth, after the game and he helped me. “For a few days I slept a lot. I don’t think I left the house that week. “But I got a surprise phone call from Barry and that helped. He’d missed a penalty in the UEFA Cup semi-final against Fiorentina for Rangers. “He told me to keep my head up. He said I had plenty of time in my career to make up for it. “He gave me a lot of great advice. That was good of Barry to take time out to speak to me. If it happens again, I’ll be more ready for it.”
Stubbs will help Cummings with that too. The Hibees gaffer has had a big influence since arriving last summer and the kid is now a big-game player. He has already scored twice against Rangers and hit a dream goal against Hearts in the recent 1-1 derby draw. He wasn’t slow in telling everyone that the strike was payback for the Jambos throwing him on the scrapheap (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-match-reports/hearts-1-hibs-1-jason-4915527)at 16. What most people don’t know is that when Cummings suffered a cruciate knee injury that threatened to ruin his career he had to rely on the NHS - and not the Tynecastle club – to recover. He said: “I was about 15 when I got the injury. I was devastated. “I stayed in my room for days. I thought that was me, football-wise, and I was looking elsewhere for jobs. “I was with Hearts at the time but wasn’t in there full-time. They didn’t do anything for me. “I had to do everything through the NHS. I remember having to wait four weeks just to get a scan. Hearts could have done more to help me. “Thanks to my family and the NHS, we managed to get the operation.
“My family urged me to stick in at the game and work for the rewards. “The rejection from Hearts is always at the back of my mind. It drives me on. I felt I deserved better and scoring for Hibs at Tynecastle felt great. “I just want to get the best out of my career now. I have international ambitions as well, whether it’s with the Under-21s or the full squad. “I want to score in every game. If I don’t score I come off raging. “If I’ve scored one I’m unhappy that it wasn’t two and if I get two I want it to be three. That’s the way I am.”
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/young-hibernian-striker-jasom-cummings-5039483
Young Hibernian striker Jason Cummings says he's not the cocky player that many fans presume
YOU can’t really know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been.
Jason Cummings is testimony to that. At just 19, he’s the Championship’s top scorer and Hibs’ hottest property. But even this early in his career, there’s a perception of him that doesn’t quite do his story justice. Sure, he’s cocky. He admits that. In fact it’s probably one of the reasons he has netted 13 goals this season. And at times Cummings hasn’t helped himself. Who can forget his post-match comments after scoring his first Hibs goal against Hamilton last season? “It was a decent zing. I opened a tin of beans with that.” Or his words of wisdom after a goal against Rangers at Ibrox. “I had the touch of an angel,” he said. (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/jason-cummings-philosophy-life-football-4418981) A foot tattoo with the word ‘zing’, some ill-advised Twitter posts and a slightly over-zealous goal celebration against Hearts have helped perpetuate the Cummings myth.
But there’s more to him than that. When MailSport caught up with the striker at Hibs’ training ground, he spoke with a degree of humility. Whisper it, but he was even verging on shyness. That’s because he’s now becoming aware of his responsibilities. Gradually, he’s realising his days of playing ‘Hacky Hampden’ with his Hutchison Vale mates are long gone.
But that’s Cummings’ point. For people to understand why he is the way he is, they have to appreciate where he has come from.
He said: “I know most people think I’m a bit arrogant. But I’m a confident boy, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I believe in my ability. “There’s another side to me though. I like having a laugh but I can be serious too. “A lot of people just see me messing about. But I’ve fought hard to get to where I am today. “Looking back, I’ve done a few daft things. But I’ve learned from it. People have to remember I’m still a young boy. Just two years ago, I was playing with my mates at Hutchy. We used to muck about every day. We’d toy fight with each other – some days we’d toy fight with the manager. “At training, we’d have a game of Hacky Hampden. Instead of playing football, you just slide tackle people and hack them down. It sounds daft but it was a good laugh. “That’s the environment I’ve come from. Now I’m a pro.
“I’m still learning on and off the pitch. I know I need to sharpen up on stuff outside of football. I need to be a bit more savvy but that will come with experience.” At a time when our game is devoid of players boasting the gallus streak we used to be renowned for, we should be grateful for characters like Cummings. Born and bred in Edinburgh, albeit to a largely Hearts-mad family, his goals for Alan Stubbs’ side have heightened his profile in the city.
So much so that he has been targeted at times by yobs. Previously, Cummings would have reacted. That might have been acceptable when he was working as a gardener following his rejection from Hearts at 16. But not now.
He said: “It can be difficult sometimes being an Edinburgh boy and Hibs’ top scorer. I’m always going to get stick. “My car has been egged a few times. The other week, someone threw an Aero yoghurt at my window. They must know me because it’s one of my favourite flavours! “But I just have a laugh about it, especially when I tell the boys.
“Maybe a year ago, I’d have responded to stuff like that. Or when people shouted at me in the street slagging off my hair. “But I realise I can’t do that now. I’m in the public eye and kids look up to me.” He’s certainly becoming a Hibs’ hero on the pitch. Cummings burst on to the scene with that brace against Accies in the Premiership play-off last May. But in the return at Easter Road, he missed the crucial penalty in the shoot-out – which condemned Hibs to relegation.
There was no laughing or joking from Cummings that night. In fact, only a pep talk from former Rangers star Barry Ferguson (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/authors/barry-ferguson/) lifted his spirits. He said: “From being on this incredible high, just a few days later I missed the decisive penalty that put us down. “I was devastated. I felt like I’d let all the boys down. It was an all-time low. “I was hearing that there would be job losses at the club because we’d been relegated. And I felt guilty – like it was all on my shoulders. “The fans were distraught and it took me a while to shrug it off. But I’m a better player and person for it. “When you’ve hit rock bottom nothing will faze you after that.
“That night I just locked myself away. I met my agent, Alan Houldsworth, after the game and he helped me. “For a few days I slept a lot. I don’t think I left the house that week. “But I got a surprise phone call from Barry and that helped. He’d missed a penalty in the UEFA Cup semi-final against Fiorentina for Rangers. “He told me to keep my head up. He said I had plenty of time in my career to make up for it. “He gave me a lot of great advice. That was good of Barry to take time out to speak to me. If it happens again, I’ll be more ready for it.”
Stubbs will help Cummings with that too. The Hibees gaffer has had a big influence since arriving last summer and the kid is now a big-game player. He has already scored twice against Rangers and hit a dream goal against Hearts in the recent 1-1 derby draw. He wasn’t slow in telling everyone that the strike was payback for the Jambos throwing him on the scrapheap (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-match-reports/hearts-1-hibs-1-jason-4915527)at 16. What most people don’t know is that when Cummings suffered a cruciate knee injury that threatened to ruin his career he had to rely on the NHS - and not the Tynecastle club – to recover. He said: “I was about 15 when I got the injury. I was devastated. “I stayed in my room for days. I thought that was me, football-wise, and I was looking elsewhere for jobs. “I was with Hearts at the time but wasn’t in there full-time. They didn’t do anything for me. “I had to do everything through the NHS. I remember having to wait four weeks just to get a scan. Hearts could have done more to help me. “Thanks to my family and the NHS, we managed to get the operation.
“My family urged me to stick in at the game and work for the rewards. “The rejection from Hearts is always at the back of my mind. It drives me on. I felt I deserved better and scoring for Hibs at Tynecastle felt great. “I just want to get the best out of my career now. I have international ambitions as well, whether it’s with the Under-21s or the full squad. “I want to score in every game. If I don’t score I come off raging. “If I’ve scored one I’m unhappy that it wasn’t two and if I get two I want it to be three. That’s the way I am.”