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View Full Version : Hibs signings you didn't have particularly high hopes for but who turned out great



G B Young
25-04-2018, 12:04 PM
Most recently, I'd say that guy that has surprised me most by how much he's improved is Martin Boyle.

When I first caught sight of Conrad Logan I feared for our Scottish Cup hopes but for instant impact there's probably never been a better signing!

Dalianwanda
25-04-2018, 12:19 PM
Jim Leighton

yerauldda
25-04-2018, 12:23 PM
Florian Kamberi

JeMeSouviens
25-04-2018, 12:26 PM
Seems strange to say it considering he'd come via Spurs & Barcelona but Steve Archibald. I didn't realise how good he was.

makaveli1875
25-04-2018, 12:30 PM
Conrad Logan

lord bunberry
25-04-2018, 12:31 PM
Big Marv would be one of the most recent ones that spring to mind.

TelaStella
25-04-2018, 12:31 PM
Kamberi. Malonga always surprised me as well but he probably done that with everyone.


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Forza Fred
25-04-2018, 12:33 PM
Jamie MacLaren

Greentinted
25-04-2018, 12:33 PM
Stuart Lovell.
First few months I was, at best, underwhelmed with his performances. When he found his feet however, he proved to be an unsung hero in McLeish’s star-studded squad and won me (and I daresay many others) over major style.

Peevemor
25-04-2018, 12:34 PM
Pat McGinlay
Willie Irvine the 1st.

Mikey
25-04-2018, 12:34 PM
David Gray's signing wasn't received well by everyone!

Michael
25-04-2018, 12:50 PM
I wrote off Kamberi and Maclaren before they'd kicked a ball.

G B Young
25-04-2018, 01:14 PM
Jim Leighton

Yeh, I remember being unsure about Leighton, although I think he had done OK at Dundee after the collapse of his career at Man U.

Another keeper who, like Logan, brought invaluable 'character' to the team was John Burridge.

JDHibs
25-04-2018, 01:17 PM
I wrote off Kamberi and Maclaren before they'd kicked a ball.

Good to see some people admitting their mistake.

Kamberi
Keatings
Henderson
Logan

Aim Here
25-04-2018, 01:30 PM
Florian Kamberi

That must have been a gruelling six hours between his signing announcement and his scoring a goal against Motherwell...

21.05.2016
25-04-2018, 01:41 PM
Conrad Logan. The perfect example of don't judge a book by it's cover.

The man is an absolute hero :not worth:flag:

SouthMoroccoStu
25-04-2018, 01:42 PM
David Gray's signing wasn't received well by everyone!

Yeah but what has he ever actually done for us

I think the jury is still out on this one

:greengrin

yerauldda
25-04-2018, 01:55 PM
That must have been a gruelling six hours between his signing announcement and his scoring a goal against Motherwell...

haha it was the days before, during his trial, I never really think we sign anyone decent after they have had a trial and his record beforehand didn't excite me.. He soon proved me wrong though.

Northernhibee
25-04-2018, 02:08 PM
Neil Lennon.

NZ Green
25-04-2018, 02:17 PM
I'm always cautiously optimistic about signings, so I'm never super surprised if they do well. Saying that, Barker instantly stood out to me, I love watching him play, even though he doesn't score as many as he deserves. Marciano was better than I was expecting too. I should ad Boyle was never really on my radar until this season - he's been great to watch.

danhibees1875
25-04-2018, 02:22 PM
Neil Lennon.

Beat me to it. :agree:

SirDavidsNapper
25-04-2018, 02:24 PM
Boyle

we are hibs
25-04-2018, 02:38 PM
I was very underwhelmed when we signed Gray. I think it was Stubbs first signing and it was an ageing full back to replace Maybury and I thought "here we go again". Only got it slightly wrong tbf. It's not as if he has contributed anything noteworthy to the club

IWasThere2016
25-04-2018, 02:43 PM
David Gray's signing wasn't received well by everyone!


Yeah but what has he ever actually done for us

I think the jury is still out on this one

:greengrin


I was very underwhelmed when we signed Gray. I think it was Stubbs first signing and it was an ageing full back to replace Maybury and I thought "here we go again". Only got it slightly wrong tbf. It's not as if he has contributed anything noteworthy to the club

:agree: Wage thief....











:offski:

Greencore
25-04-2018, 02:44 PM
David Murphy

B.H.F.C
25-04-2018, 02:45 PM
Rob Jones. Didn’t look like a football player but went on to be a cup winning captain in his first year.

pedroorange1875
25-04-2018, 02:53 PM
Had never ever heard of Russell Latapy....oh my oh my oh my

SRHibs
25-04-2018, 02:55 PM
I was very underwhelmed when we signed Gray. I think it was Stubbs first signing and it was an ageing full back to replace Maybury and I thought "here we go again". Only got it slightly wrong tbf. It's not as if he has contributed anything noteworthy to the club

26 is aging?

Halmyre Hibee
25-04-2018, 02:58 PM
Alan Gordon....thought he was a journeyman (Hearts, short spell in South Africa then Dundee Utd). Superb player in a great team.

Mixu...thought he was past his best but a great fit for Hibs at that time.

Martin Boyle....thought he would be an average squad player. McLeish should consider him for Scotland given his pace.

Nakedmanoncrack
25-04-2018, 03:14 PM
Griffiths turned out much better than I expected I admit, Boyle is much improved since open-goal miss on debut (?).

FitbaFolkKen
25-04-2018, 04:01 PM
26 is aging?

Aye you are ****ed at 29

we are hibs
25-04-2018, 04:04 PM
26 is aging?

Once you get past 21 it's a slow painful decline I'm afraid

FRes Hibbie
25-04-2018, 04:06 PM
Aye you are ****ed at 29

I'm nearly 28 and I'm definitely fu***d.

I didn't think Sproule would do some of the things he did.

sleeping giant
25-04-2018, 04:06 PM
David Murphy

:agree:

Thought he was fat and unfit when I seen him the first time. Blowing out his erse after 30 mins and gave up chasing a ball he could have got to.
I wasn't impressed :greengrin:

eezyrider
25-04-2018, 04:21 PM
Yeh, I remember being unsure about Leighton, although I think he had done OK at Dundee after the collapse of his career at Man U.



Leighton had a nightmare at Dundee. Fell out of favour after letting in 6 goals in a game (against Partick I think).
Everyone thought he was finished after that. Then he turned up at Hibs - I thought he was just going to go into a coaching role - but Jim had other plans and resurrected his career in amazing style.

EZ

snooky
25-04-2018, 04:56 PM
Ivan. I see him as one of my chosen few Hibs heroes.
I'm not saying he was one of our greatest players but he got me off my seat in a way many before and after haven't.
:not worth

NORTHERNHIBBY
25-04-2018, 05:03 PM
Paul Fenwick and Gary Smith.

Nevi_SOL
25-04-2018, 06:51 PM
Brandon Barker. Thought we’d get another Mathew Kennedy or Daniel boateng. How I’m happy I was wrong

G B Young
25-04-2018, 06:53 PM
Leighton had a nightmare at Dundee. Fell out of favour after letting in 6 goals in a game (against Partick I think).
Everyone thought he was finished after that. Then he turned up at Hibs - I thought he was just going to go into a coaching role - but Jim had other plans and resurrected his career in amazing style.

EZ

Right enough, my memory's obviously fading. I couldn't remember how he did at Dundee but now you've reminded me I recall it being what looked like a sorry end to a once fine career. The move to Hibs transformed him and IIRC he played in the 1998 World Cup ahead of Goram, prompting Goram to quit the Scotland squad.

Good shout from somebody else re Mixu. I definitely didn't see that as a signing to get excited about but he proved me wrong.

G B Young
25-04-2018, 06:57 PM
Ivan. I see him as one of my chosen few Hibs heroes.
I'm not saying he was one of our greatest players but he got me off my seat in a way many before and after haven't.
:not worth

Aside from his Ibrox heroics, he turned in a lot of great displays. First leg of the Uefa Cup tie v Dnipro springs to mind. I think there was talk Dnipro wanted to sign him after that. But my favourite Sproule game was when he ran Hearts ragged in the 2006 League Cup quarter-final. Only 1-0 but we dominated them that night as thoroughly as it was possible to do.

1van Sprou7e
25-04-2018, 06:59 PM
That must have been a gruelling six hours between his signing announcement and his scoring a goal against Motherwell...

Tbf it wouldn't be the first time a player started well before fading away

Sir David Gray
25-04-2018, 07:00 PM
Kamberi, looked at his previous record and although I wouldn't say I had written him off, I had very low expectations.

I couldn't have been more wrong. He's been an excellent signing.

BILLYHIBS
25-04-2018, 09:40 PM
Joe McBride Senior
Jim Brown
Gary Smith
Derek Collins
Graham Mitchell

ian cruise
25-04-2018, 09:48 PM
Danny Swanson, when he signed I was afraid it was too much of a fairy tale to work out, signing for his boyhood heroes and all that. I hadn't been wowed by his career to date though he'd had a good season prior I will admit. He's coming on to a game though and I hope that I am left looking very foolish.

There's probably a few more but I'm normally pretty accepting and have given a fair few more of a chance than their performances deserved.

Bishop Hibee
25-04-2018, 09:48 PM
I didn't think Darren McGregor or David Gray would become legends when they signed.

ekhibee
25-04-2018, 10:21 PM
Probably Stevenson. Was MOM in the League Cup final but after that I had little time for him, looked like he had very limited ability, lack of pace, and the only people that seemed to think he was any good were some people on here who just liked to contradict others for the sake of it. But in the last 2 or 3 seasons he's proved me, and many others, totally wrong. A shining example of what a good, solid pro should be, an example to all of us.

blaikie
25-04-2018, 10:28 PM
Alan Stubbs .... so underwhelmed when he got the job after relegation, on a player side I would have to say Bamba! Bombscare at Dunfermline but Mixu had him playing well and he’s went on to be an absolute rock at centre half down south.

Squirrel 1875
25-04-2018, 10:31 PM
Marvin Bartley. I thought he’d be a bit of a nothing player. Been an unreal signing.

sambajustice
25-04-2018, 10:36 PM
Joe McLaughlin

Big90inOz
26-04-2018, 12:36 AM
Big Mixu, really thought that was a terrible signing of an old slow has been, very quickly became Paatelainen what a *****in signing :greengrin

Pedantic_Hibee
26-04-2018, 05:36 AM
John McGinn

johncrobertson@
26-04-2018, 05:49 AM
Boozy

PatHead
26-04-2018, 06:29 AM
Jackie MacNamara. Can’t believe we ended out getting the better end of that deal.

delbert
26-04-2018, 08:37 AM
Jackie MacNamara. Can’t believe we ended out getting the better end of that deal.

Was just going to say Jackie, he couldn’t have arrived in worse circumstances or under more pressure with the departure of Pat, but he turned out to be one of the best players and committed Hibs players I ever saw, just a class act and a lovely guy off the park.

Craigmount Hibs
26-04-2018, 08:50 AM
Darren McGregor. I knew he was a massive Hibby, but when he’d played at right back for The Rangers, I wasn’t too impressed. Knew he’d had a couple of horrendous injuries too, so was uncertain how it would work out.

The man is an absolute legend. And consistently performs at a very high level. Never gives the ball away either, apparently...

Aim Here
26-04-2018, 09:41 AM
Kamberi, looked at his previous record and although I wouldn't say I had written him off, I had very low expectations.

I couldn't have been more wrong. He's been an excellent signing.

The thing with his previous record was that he was subbed on a lot of games. His record at Grasshoppers looked like a decidedly dodgy 5 goals in 40-odd games, but really it was more like 1 goal every 270 minutes of game time, which looks much more reasonable.

MWHIBBIES
26-04-2018, 09:47 AM
2018 and players are still being judged from Wikipedia stats. It's just so silly. I've never been wrong because I don't make assumptions :smug:

The Baldmans Comb
26-04-2018, 10:09 AM
Another vote from me for Gary Smith who was a very underated player.

Mr consistency "Lewis" has forced me to change my mind as he has been outstanding for a very long time now.

G B Young
26-04-2018, 10:42 AM
Probably Stevenson. Was MOM in the League Cup final but after that I had little time for him, looked like he had very limited ability, lack of pace, and the only people that seemed to think he was any good were some people on here who just liked to contradict others for the sake of it. But in the last 2 or 3 seasons he's proved me, and many others, totally wrong. A shining example of what a good, solid pro should be, an example to all of us.

Don't think we signed Lewis from another club. As far as I'm aware he came through the youth ranks at Hibs and has been with us his whole career.

Speedy
26-04-2018, 11:52 AM
Boyle has came on leaps and bounds. Always thought he was an off the bench player at best. Now one of our best players.

Riordan - can't remember why exactly. One of us was clearly having an off day.

Logan almost goes without saying.

Stevenson was always in and out, and when he was in it was normally in a hopeless Hibs team. Can't fault him for working hard to bulk up, improve his game and become a mainstay.

DstN75
26-04-2018, 12:05 PM
Russell Latapy. Never heard of him, thought he looked slow and not bothered in the first couple of games. Oops.

Nicho87
26-04-2018, 12:08 PM
Hakan SAR temsouray 😁

Hibs1969
26-04-2018, 12:54 PM
John O’Neil
Darren Jackson

ancient hibee
26-04-2018, 01:49 PM
Jackie Macnamara
John Hughes
Chris Shevlane
Des Bremner

Northernhibee
26-04-2018, 01:58 PM
Scott Allan. Still don't like the way he left the first time and never will but he's put in the effort, proved to be the missing link and proved me wrong.

Onceinawhile
26-04-2018, 02:27 PM
Alan Stubbs .... so underwhelmed when he got the job after relegation, on a player side I would have to say Bamba! Bombscare at Dunfermline but Mixu had him playing well and he’s went on to be an absolute rock at centre half down south.

On the managerial front, I was fizzing when Tony Mowbray was appointed and then binned our (at the time) best player - Grant Brebner. Now he's probably my second or third favourite hibs manager.

pacorosssco
26-04-2018, 10:34 PM
Leighton had a nightmare at Dundee. Fell out of favour after letting in 6 goals in a game (against Partick I think).
Everyone thought he was finished after that. Then he turned up at Hibs - I thought he was just going to go into a coaching role - but Jim had other plans and resurrected his career in amazing style.

EZ

Yes looked finished and few were happy at his arrival

AK86
26-04-2018, 11:46 PM
Chic Charnley. I wasn't impressed when Duffy signed him The guy was a dream to watch, I named my cat after him!
Wish he played for us 10 year before.
Michael Stewart also, Very unlikeable in blood stained jobby colours, but a very intelligent, skilful , entertaining fitba player.

spike220
27-04-2018, 04:13 AM
I thought Kajabi would never make a name for himself. Oh how I was sooooooo wrong.

O'Rourke3
27-04-2018, 05:25 AM
Archibald. I reckoned he needed a Strachan to set up the tap ins. Delighted to have eaten a huge slice of humble pie.
I remember Ally McLeod arriving and being unpopular (wasnt sure why, possibly the deal to get him) so surprised he's not been mentioned yet

Bill Milne
27-04-2018, 08:00 AM
Mixu's first couple of outings were not inspiring. He looked badly out of shape at the time but what a magnificent signing he turned out to be!!

Phil MaGlass
27-04-2018, 08:07 AM
As a couple have said Jim Leighton and Mixu. What a great goalkeeper and as for Mixu nowt to be said.

Isaac_Refvik
27-04-2018, 08:46 AM
Probably Stevenson. Was MOM in the League Cup final but after that I had little time for him, looked like he had very limited ability, lack of pace, and the only people that seemed to think he was any good were some people on here who just liked to contradict others for the sake of it. But in the last 2 or 3 seasons he's proved me, and many others, totally wrong. A shining example of what a good, solid pro should be, an example to all of us.

.....and to think Ryan McGivern kept him out of the left back position for best part of two seasons!:brickwall

heid the baw
27-04-2018, 04:11 PM
I recall being underwhelmed when we sold Paul Wright and bought in Keith Wright.
I was also not convinced with Scott Allen coming back a second time but that is looking good right now

brog
27-04-2018, 04:36 PM
Aside from his Ibrox heroics, he turned in a lot of great displays. First leg of the Uefa Cup tie v Dnipro springs to mind. I think there was talk Dnipro wanted to sign him after that. But my favourite Sproule game was when he ran Hearts ragged in the 2006 League Cup quarter-final. Only 1-0 but we dominated them that night as thoroughly as it was possible to do.

Ah, the famous "pub team" game! I know John Collins divides opinions but he 0roduced a classic that night!

overdrive
27-04-2018, 05:45 PM
Another vote for Gary Smith

HibbyAndy
27-04-2018, 05:48 PM
I think Gareth Evans for 50K was good value

BILLYHIBS
28-04-2018, 09:25 AM
Archibald. I reckoned he needed a Strachan to set up the tap ins. Delighted to have eaten a huge slice of humble pie.
I remember Ally McLeod arriving and being unpopular (wasnt sure why, possibly the deal to get him) so surprised he's not been mentioned yet
Stevie Archibald class act! Always looked to have more time on the ball than any other player as he could bring the ball under control immediately be it foot , thigh or chest tremendous vision and awareness.

Ally MacLeod another class act faster than he looked. I remember one game I think against Dundee he scored direct from a free kick the ref told him to retake it as the wall wasn’t ready. He repeated the feat putting the ball in the opposite corner.