Jacob Devaney made his Hibernian debut on Sunday as Hibs defeated Dundee 2-1 at Dens Park. Speaking post match, he said the prospect of playing in the Edinburgh Derby was a big attraction when he weighed up his prospects for this season.
Devaney impressed many in his debut for David Gray’s side, earning the man of the match award as he looks to fill the #6 shaped hole left by Dan Barlaser.
The Irishman is no stranger to Scottish football, spending the second half of last season on loan at St. Mirren, but is relishing the prospect of playing in one of the country’s biggest matches.
Speaking after Sunday’s win Devaney discussed his experiences of Hibernian’s European heartbreak against KAA Gent. The midfielder hadn’t joined the club ahead of the first leg, so was resigned to the stands for the second leg. He said: “I got a good glimpse of what the fans can be like on Thursday.
“They were amazing. It was a real goosebumps moment in the first five or ten minutes, knowing that I could potentially be playing in front of those fans on Thursday.”
The 19-year-old on loan from Manchester United also admitted that he will have to catch up with his teammates on the Edinburgh Derby experience, with focus at Easter Road quickly shifting from Gent to Dundee, and now to Hearts. Devaney said: “I’ve only ever watched the Edinburgh derby on TV.
“But the chance to play in it was definitely a big attraction for me coming to Hibs and I’m looking forward to it.”
The midfielder was also full of praise for his side’s impressive victory, where the 2-1 scoreline seemed to flatter Dundee, Devaney said: “We wanted to show people how good a team we are, and I think we showed that at times. I thought it was a really good performance and we held on in the end, which was the main thing, getting the three points.”
The win was clearly an important one with the match coming so soon after Hibs conceded two late goals to exit the Conference League at the Play-Off stage for the second consecutive year. Dundee scored an 83rd minute goal to pull it back to 2-1 on Sunday which certainly caused some anxiety in the Dens Park away end, but Devaney praised the squad’s mentality and emphasised Hibs’ goals for the season, he said: “The lads could have been forgiven for letting their heads drop after what happened on Thursday.
“But it just shows there’s a real spirit in that first team. There’s a great bunch of lads in there, staff included, and I think it’s a group of winners as well. We want to go out and keep getting three points.
“It’s a massive club in Scotland, and a team that can push for success this year. We need to keep grinding out three points in the league and hopefully have a good two cup runs as well.”
Hibs are now gearing up for their seventh consecutive Thursday night match as they host Hearts in the first Edinburgh Derby of the season in front of a sold-out Easter Road.