Players on Trial

[Iceman1875]

Away from LennonDuff gate last night [emoji6] what players over the years have we had on trial that gave went on to have great careers elsewhere or any high profile players that we have had a look at but not signed for whatever reason....

I'll start, Fraser Forster


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[Michael]

Wow, didn't realise we had Forster on trial. Seems mental that he didn't get a deal (or maybe he rejected?) when you consider the standard of player we've had in goal over the years.

[johnbc70]

Ronnie Rosenthal was on trial and we nearly signed David Platt!

[Craig_HFC]

When was Forster on trial?

[Iceman1875]

When was Forster on trial?

Few years back

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/hibernian/mixu-paatelainen-fumed-at-hibs-snubbing-fraser-forster-1-4084863

[CallumLaidlaw]

Not on trial but we nearly signed David Platt but scrimped over a couple of grand.

We also had Alan McGregor all but signed. Le Guen was Rangers manager and was actually happy to let McGregor leave for nothing. Hibs agreed terms with him but Mowbray decided he was happy to go with the keeper he already had.... Zibby.

[snooky]

Strachan?
Finley Quaye (became a singer)

[Craig_HFC]

John Robertson?

[Peevemor]

There was a story that Hibs were offered a then young Favid Trezeguet on loan.

Also that Sauzée had lined up Didier Deschamps before he was sacked.

[Peevemor]

We almost got the legendary Bobby Mann, only for Deek to screw up the deal (by playing well).


John Robertson said
Then Hibs manager Bobby Williamson desperately wanted to sign Bobby Mann, but didn’t have the money to buy him.


So we discussed a swap deal and Bobby offered us two players from his youth team.


My assistant Donald Park and I picked Riordan and Steven Whittaker but the deal couldn’t have been completed in time that particular January.


However, Bobby was still keen to agree something for the following season and there were further negotiations later.


Riordan, though, got into the Hibs team for the last six or seven games and scored five goals. The rest is history.


Credit to both Riordan and Whittaker for how their careers have progressed since.


But Riordan was so nearly an Inverness player.


The boy had a lucky escape!


https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/archives/football/29606/celts-hell-can-make-you-deek/

[Scouse Hibee]

Gary O'C had plenty of trials.

[Peevemor]

Not on trial but we nearly signed David Platt but scrimped over a couple of grand.

That's not the case. A fee had been agreed with Crewe and Dougie Cromb was in negotiations with Platt re. his personal terms. Aston Villa then made their interest known. Platt fancied Villa more and became impossible to deal with. Crombe sensed it was a losing battle and gave up and Platt ended up at Villa and Crewe got about £50k more than they'd agreed with Hibs.

[Smartie]

I'm trying to think of bizarre players who have played friendlies for us but never a competitive game.

Andy McLaren? Mark Kerr? Cillian Sheridan?

[Leith's finest]

I heard 2/3 years ago adam rooney was down at east mains for trials, but he opted to go to the sheep

[Franck Stanton]

Russell Latapy, played as a trialist in friendly v Arbroath. Remember McLeish saying he took him off after 30min having seen enough & was worried there were other scouts in crowd & beat us to his signature

[Ozyhibby]

I heard 2/3 years ago adam rooney was down at east mains for trials, but he opted to go to the sheep

I think with Rooney we only wanted him on loan where as Aberdeen were willing to make it permanent.
I'm fairly sure signing him that January would have spared us relegation.


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[silverhibee]

We almost got the legendary Bobby Mann, only for Deek to screw up the deal (by playing well).



https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/archives/football/29606/celts-hell-can-make-you-deek/


Deek was never going to Inverness, Williamson cleared it all up in a interview many years ago, (can't find it anywhere) that it was never happening.

[Peevemor]

Deek was never going to Inverness, Williamson cleared it all up in a interview many years ago, (can't find it anywhere) that it was never happening.

I'm not doubting you, but it's strange that Robertson says otherwise in his interview.

[silverhibee]

I'm not doubting you, but it's strange that Robertson says otherwise in his interview.


Robertson can say anything he wants, I can assure you Deek was not going to Inverness.

Found it. :greengrin

“What disappointed me was that in January of the year we played in the League Cup final [which Hibs lost 2-0 to Livingston], I went to the board and said: ‘look, we can swap a central defender for a midfield player, because we are going to be short in midfield’,” he says.

Williamson wanted to bring in Steven Thomson, then at Peterborough United. “Kevin Thomson was picking up a few injuries, and a few others were picking up injuries, and I said we should do this, because we would be struggling in midfield towards the end of the season,” he adds. “But I could not get it sanctioned.”

Something else that couldn’t be sanctioned was a swap deal involving Derek Riordan and Bobby Mann, though this, as well as being a blessing, is a bit of a myth it turns out. “Donald Park [at Inverness] wanted Riordan, and I thought we needed a Bobby Mann-type centre half,” he says. “But the board never sanctioned it. It was not the case that I wanted to get rid of Derek Riordan.

“They [Inverness] wanted Riordan, and I said to Donald, ‘speak to the board’. It was probably just an excuse to get off the phone to him.”

:aok:

[Bayern Bru]

I'm trying to think of bizarre players who have played friendlies for us but never a competitive game.

Andy McLaren? Mark Kerr? Cillian Sheridan?

Alex Palmer played in the pre-season friendly against West Brom.
Michael Richardson (played in 1-0 friendly loss to Dundee United in 2014)
Adam Buxton (played in 4-0 friendly win over Vale of Leithen in 2014)
Berry Powel (played in 2006 friendly v Charlton)
Juha Riippa played in a 0-0 draw at Tynie against Hearts... not a friendly admittedly.

Don't know if they ever played but there were two Argentinian trialists with us under McLeish - Nicolas Mazzina and Lanchina(?).

Also unsure if they ever played... Jomu Kunaka, Fernando di Ornelas, Toti Bergsson, Ion Testimitanu, Jesper Mikkelsen, Nicolas Sahnon, Thomas Pichlmann, George Santos.