Hibs needed a new captain and they think they have found the right man.

I feel part of the club and I hope to take it forward under the new management team
There was a giant shadow to replace when Hibs lost Rob Jones as he moved to Scunthorpe United. Captain and mainstay of the Hibs defence it was obvious that the club would have their work cut out to find the right man to replace him. New manager John Hughes has decided that Chris Hogg is the man who should fill the void. The defender has experience of leading the Easter Road side as he deputised last season when Jones was was injured. Hogg was signed from Ipswich Town by former Hibs boss Tony Mowbray just over four years ago. And his first lessons in the art of being skipper came courtesy of some scary experiences as a 16-year-old working with Jim Magilton at Ipswich. Hogg said: "
Jim Magilton was captain when I was at Ipswich and you can learn a lot from that man. The way he went about his business and the way he did things in training, it was all 110% and he wasn't scared to get in your face either. I remember training with the first team as a 16-year-old and when you didn't give him the ball at the right pace, he would come up to you and start screaming in your face and so that was a steep learning curve. I didn't say anything back to him, you have to respect him and he was a good man for that football club."

Hogg, however, aims to make his mark in the Easter Road dressing room in his own way. He said: "
Everyone handles it differently and I will handle it differently. There's times and places for things like that, and there are times for an arm round the shoulder. It's about getting the right balance. I will have my own approach but there will be times when I have to get in to people's faces and rile them up but that's something that I do anyway. But everything will be positive. It is a great honour for me. I have been four-and-a-half years at the club and I know what it's all about. I feel part of the club and I hope to take it forward under the new management team. I feel the captain has to be the embodiment of a club so it is a big responsibility."

Ironically, Hibs boss John Hughes compared Hogg to his former Celtic team-mate Mowbray and another former Hoops' skipper, Paul McStay. Hughes said: "
He leads from the front, he is a great professional on and off the park and he buys into the philosophy of the club. I think he will revel in the responsibility and it will make him a better player. I can compare him with Tony Mowbray, the ex-manager of Hibs and now manager at Celtic. He was a big gentleman but you know you had to give him respect because he treated people in the way he wanted to be treated himself. When I went to Celtic you could see that and there was also Paul McStay who led by example, he was always out there first and trained the way he played."

Meanwhile, Hughes confirmed his interest Plymouth goalkeeper Graham Stack who he attempted to sign on loan for Falkirk in January. Hughes said: "
Graham is one of three or four on our radar and I tried to bring him to Falkirk. He started off at Arsenal and lost his way a little bit but he has great distribution, he is a great shot-stopper and he fills his goals well, but most importantly, he is a strong character. But there are another two or three that we are sniffing around."

Editor
Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba.net)

Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba.net)

This is Scottish-Fitba.Net