Roy O'Donovan believes James McPake is the perfect leader to inspire Hibernian to victory on Saturday, the defender having "grown a foot taller" since joining the club.
McPake moved to Easter Road on loan from Coventry City in January following a year-long absence with a fractured spine. He assumed the captain's armband in the absence of Ian Murray and became a key man in the Easter Road side's successful bid for Clydesdale Bank Premier League survival and the run to the Hampden final.
O'Donovan, who is also on loan from Coventry, had a front-row seat for McPake's dark days as he struggled to resurrect his career. Now, with the men set to line-up together against Hearts in the biggest Edinburgh derby in history, the Irish striker has hailed the remarkable revival of the man who could become the first Hibs captain in 110 years to lift the famous old trophy.
"He has always been a great player but I think he has really grown into his role at Hibs," O'Donovan said. "That comes from playing games and playing well, and he has been given the chance to do that. He seems to have grown a foot since joining Hibs, you can see that. It really is incredible.
"I am delighted for him because he is one of the good guys and a real leader and someone to look up to. You need have those qualities to come back from his injury. He was waiting for a chance for too long at Coventry and I'm glad to see him playing at the level he should be and showing everyone how good he is."
A fee was inserted into McPake's loan deal at Hibs, allowing the club to purchase the player for a set price, believed to be in the region of around £100,000. Manager Pat Fenlon has already expressed a desire to retain the defender beyond the summer.
David Wotherspoon, meanwhile, has confessed he fears cup final rejection after failing to make the most of a start against Inverness Caledonian Thistle at the weekend.
Having made only his first starting appearance in the 2-0 loss in Inverness since the 2-0 league defeat to Hearts on March 18, Wotherspoon is still hoping to convince Fenlon he is worth a place in the squad
He said: "I tried my hardest, worked as hard as I could, so, fingers crossed. I've not been playing recently, so it was an opportunity for me against Inverness, but I don't think I did as much as I could to get myself into the team."
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