Hibs boss leaps to defence of Ryan Porteous amid poor form and Scotland call

Hibs manager Lee Johnson believes a change of scenery might help Porteous.

Hibs manager Lee Johnson has defended Ryan Porteous’ Scotland call-up despite admitting that there has been a slip in standards from the Easter Road defender in recent weeks.

The 23-year-old has been a key player for the Leith side, who are embroiled in a tight battle for European spots, but after a run of four Premiership wins on the bounce, they have registered just one win in six games and dropped down from third spot. That dip has been reflected in Porteous’ performances, but his club boss has backed him to produce the goods for Scotland manager Steve Clarke when the national side travels to Turkey next week.

“Three or four weeks ago, we were all hailing Ryan as a hero,” said Johnson. “So, this is part of being a footballer. Your form can go up and down and I think he’d say that off the ball his defending hasn’t been as good as it had been leading into that spell. He’s a very honest player. He can look at himself and be honest with that. Not everybody can and that’s a good sign; that’s why he’s an international player.”