THEY came to watch one Celtic loan player and ended up captivated by another. Anthony Stokes was always going to find himself at the centre of attention on Saturday following the completion of his temporary transfer to Hibernian and, after starting this straightforward victory over St Mirren on the bench, he duly emerged after 71 minutes to give the crowd what they wanted by notching a “debut” goal.
The Hibs support will presumably not object greatly should the remainder of Stokes’ loan follow a similar path but they would have left Easter Road purring over another player also borrowed from Celtic. At just 19 years of age, Liam Henderson is still in the infancy of his career but he again demonstrated that he has the potential to be a very special player indeed. An all-round purposeful display included an early free kick goal from a wide angle as impressive as any likely to be seen this season. It was no surprise when he was later announced as the sponsors’ man of the match.
Henderson does not always start every game – manager Alan Stubbs acknowledged a need to use the teenager wisely – but when he plays he tends to make an impact. On the fringes of the Celtic team last season, he gained further match experience during a spell in Norway with Rosenborg – picking up a league medal – and now again under Stubbs’ tutelage. It is a loan move that could yet deliver further silverware, with Hibs just two points behind Championship leaders Rangers who play their game in hand tonight, and still involved in both cup competitions.
“Going out on loan has brought my game on leaps and bounds to be honest,” said the midfielder. “I’m getting toughened up a bit which is good for me. Playing week in week out in the men’s game is what I need at this age. I’m just wanting to repay the faith that the manager and the club have shown in me since I came here. We have an exciting few weeks ahead with some big games coming up, but the manager keeps reminding us that we have to take one game at a time. He doesn’t let us look too far ahead of ourselves, so we will put our focus on St Johnstone.”
That match, of course, is a League Cup semi-final at Tynecastle on Saturday. Should Hibs progress, and Celtic then beat Ross County in the second semi the following day, then neither Henderson nor Stokes would be eligible to play in the final, although Henderson wondered whether there might just be a loophole he could exploit.
“I’ve never played at Tynecastle before so it’s something new for me but I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “If Celtic and ourselves made the final then I don’t think I’m allowed to play but that won’t stop me trying! But I’ve not even thought that far ahead because we have to take care of St Johnstone first. I’ll be giving my all to try and get us into the final – I’m a Hibs player and my only concern is this club. I am loving my time here and the manager has been brilliant for me.”
There was praise, too, for Celtic team-mate Stokes and excitement at the thought of what his striking partnership with Jason Cummings could deliver over the remainder of the season.
“Everybody knows what Stokesy is all about. He has played in the Champions League, Europa League and for the Republic of Ireland so he is a great addition to the squad. As you saw against St Mirren he could well score plenty of goals for us this season. When he came on the fans erupted and that helps to give everyone a big lift. He is a quality player that the other younger boys will learn from I’m sure. Jason is an excellent player and he is destined for the top, but I reckon playing alongside Stokesy can make him even better.”
Hibs were streets ahead of a St Mirren side who, despite scoring from a terrific Stevie Mallan free kick, never really looked capable of causing an upset. They remain in danger of being relegated for a second successive season although new signing Rocco Quinn was not of a mind to panic.
“There’s no point us looking over our shoulders,” he said. “The manager is really positive and that’s rubbing off on the players. We believe we can move up the table. Week by week we will get stronger and better. That will show in the performances.”
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