Pat Fenlon plays it cool over Kevin Thomson deal

By DAVID HARDIE
Published on 23/02/2013 12:00

HIBS boss Pat Fenlon today insisted he won’t be banging down the door of chairman Rod Petrie in a bid to get the cash to sign former Easter Road midfielder Kevin Thomson.

The ex-Rangers player has been training with his old club this week after ending his contract with English Championship outfit Middlesbrough, but while admitting the 28-year-old is a “fabulous player who would enhance any squad,” Fenlon revealed he blew his transfer budget during the January transfer window in extending the loans of Leigh Griffiths, Jorge Claros and Ryan McGivern while bringing in Scott Robertson and Matt Done.

The news that Thomson was working out with Fenlon’s squad at their East Mains training centre has, of course, led to speculation that a return in a green-and-white jersey could be on the cards.

But although he conceded he would “never say never” in football, Fenlon was adamant that Thomson had merely been offered training facilities as he sought a new club.

He said: “Kevin spoke to me last week looking for somewhere to train and get himself fit. He’s an ex-player and very well respected here so we have given him that opportunity. At the moment that is all it is.”

The return of James McFadden to Motherwell, the Scotland striker insisting it had nothing to do with money but simply to get playing again, has led some to ask if Hibs could engineer a similar signing. But Fenlon said: “That is probably not a question I can answer. It would be up to Kevin.

“What we can do is give him a facility to come in and train and get himself right. He has obviously had a few injuries down there and needs to get himself in good condition, regardless of where he ends up down the road. He needs to be fit and ready when someone does come in for him.

“It is difficult to answer hypothetical questions in terms of whether anything welse will happen, but we have basically said to him ‘come in and train’, that’s no problem at all. We have had a couple of other former players who have asked and we have said no.”

However, while revealing Thomson had been “bright and bubbly” and seemingly enjoying being back in a familiar environment, Fenlon insisted his thoughts of further strengthening his squad lay more in the summer than now.

He said: “I would never say never in football, it is a mad game/ But we have used up what we had in January. We would probably be looking at next season in relation to spending any more money.

“I’ll not be banging the chairman’s door down. I have a good squad, I am happy with it and I am focused on cementing where we are in the League, getting into the top six and progressing in the Cup.”