Five Hibs players you love past or present

[Edina Street]

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This is too hard…sorry
Players and reasons

Stanton remember loving him as a boy
Mcginn what can you say
Latapy a wee wizard, serious natural ability
Sauzee le god, sheer class
Stevenson just cause he’s Lewis

I would only mention players from my boyhood days when Hibernian players truly were my idols and I could honestly say that I was a Hibs "fanatic". Since then, relationships, family, work, and business has taken equal importance and I can no longer say I have any "heroes" since becoming an adult. also, I would choose them based more upon how I found them as people, rather than players.

1. John Collins. Along with Andy Goram was my ultimate idol, and when I went along to Easter Road one day with my friend to have a kick about in the car park it was an absolute pleasure when the Hibernian team came out around lunch-time and had a little kick about with us. The whole team were so friendly, and in particular John Collins who seemed happy to chat away with me. They asked me who my favourite player was, and I pointed to John Collins. They asked me who my least favourite player was, and I said "Joe Tortolano" and they all laughed. They asked me what I thought of Alex Miller, and I said "he's not very good", and John Collins laughed and agreed. Afterwards we all sat on the wall and I sat next to John Collins and we discussed the up and coming trip to RFC Liege. George McCluskey asked if I was going and I said "yes, my father is taking me". He even asked who my father was, like maybe he would know him. When John Collins passed half his coke bottle to me I was so honoured. WOW! Amazing!.. I did have a few interactions with Andy Goram, but whilst he was my idol as a player, he never appeared so easy to approach and always seemed more reserved than the likes of John Collins whom was easy to chat to.
2. Keith Houchen. I was present in the car park again on the day that Keith Houchen signed for us. And Lawrie Reilly came out to the car park and asked my friend and I if we would like to see Keith Houchen. He took us to the board room where Keith Houchen was sitting and we shook Keith's hand and said "welcome to Hibs", and we asked him to score against Hearts on Saturday, which he did. We even got a mention in the local newspaper which mentioned the two boys that waited hours to welcome Keith Houchen to Hibs. Rather disappointingly Keith Houchen gradually became one of my least favourite players. Which I felt a bit sad about.
3. Darren Jackson. Darren Jackson's father Adam Jackson used to be my football coach before he lost his job due to constantly using foul language. However I liked Adam Jackson, and even after he lost his job coaching us he always seemed to have time for me. If he saw me in the street he would always refer to me by my second name and call me over. He would ask how I am doing and who i am playing for. One Saturday morning when Newcastle United were not playing he invited his son Darren Jackson along to watch us. At half-time Adam Jackson stood back and allowed Darren to give us our half-time teamtalk. All I wanted to know was whether Darren was going to sign for Hibs or not. So completely ignoring his teamtalk I asked him "are you going to sign for Hibs?", and he responded, "we'll see". But for a boy that is a Hibs fanatic this was a special occasion for me.
4. Paul Kane. As a youngster Paul Kane kind of got to know me a little, to the point he recognised me, and if we passed eachother in the street he would always say "Hi". One day the Hibs team played a charity bowling match against St Andrews Steelworks Bowling Club, and the entire Hibs team were present. Afterwards in the clubhouse the Hibs players were all sat around their tables drinking, and I was there playing pool, and I noticed Kano sitting around the table with some other players, so I went over to the table and had a wee chat with him. It felt great feeling like I knew one of my idols well enough to just go over and start speaking to him.
5. Grant Holt & Andrew Shinnie. Ok, I am an adult by now, but it was still pleasing when once as a private hire driver I was called out to pick up Grant Holt, Andrew Shinnie and a couple of Hungarian trialists from the Hibernian training centre in Tranent. Grant Holt got in the front seat and Andrew Shinnie got in the back with the trialists. I was surprised about how little communication there was between the four, and Grant Holt spent the entire journey to waverley station speaking to me. The only thing he ever said to Andrew Shinnie was that his leg was a bit sore and that he was going to call off training for a couple of days. I got the impression Andrew Shinnie was actually a bit shy. But they seemed like nice blokes, and in particular Grant Holt, who I spoke with non stop. Oh, someone else that once got in my private hire vehicle was "John Robertson", boooooooo.
6. Am I allowed a sixth? Alex Cropley. Once picked me up in his taxi from the Royal Infirmary a&e department at around 5am and gave me a free taxi as apparently he was going home now, was heading that way anyway, and he also declared that he knew me from the Links Tavern. That was quite an honourable moment, even though I was an adult by this time.
7. Ok, Ok, Ok, I do have an idol from my adult years. Sir David Gray. He is not someone I know personally, nor have had any form of contact with, but he gave me one of the happiest moments of my life.
8. John Brownlie. He does not know me from Adam. I've never spoken to him. Never met him. If he saw me on the street he would not recognise me. However apparently he is a distant relative of mine through my Grandmother's side. Her distant cousin, nephew, or something of the sort.

I did have a brief encounter with Derek Riordan in Ryans bar after a Hibs match. He was there with a few Hibs players. Garry O'Connor might have been one of them. Others might have been Scott Brown and Gary Caldwell. I had only been singing Derek Riordan's name hours before when he suddenly barged in front of me in the queue and began ordering drinks for all the girls. I didn't say anything, I just decided to wait patiently, but there was a few expletives running through my mind. In the end, I got my pint, downed it and left, because I had no chance of pulling any girls whilst that lot were there. So I liked Derek Riordan as a player, but more importantly, as a person, we did not get off to a great start.