Mixu plays down Riordan return rumours

Published on Friday 29 August 2008 10:21

HIBS boss Mixu Paatelainen today played down growing speculation that Derek Riordan is poised to make a sensational return to Easter Road.

Signed by Celtic for 170,000 two years ago, Riordan has found himself ostracised by Hoops manager Gordon Strachan to the point he can barely get a game for the reserves and has been training with the under-19 squad.

Although 25-year-old Riordan is now into the final season of his contract Celtic, having refused a bid from Burnley which would ultimately have netted them 800,000, are determined to secure a fee and have resisted moves to take him on loan.

Despite his colourful background – Riordan has been banned from every nightclub in Edinburgh – many Hibs fans are desperate to see a player who scored 64 goals in 164 games back in their green-and-white shirt. Capital rivals Hearts are also said to be interested in Riordan should Celtic be prepared to release him and Paatelainen added to the speculation when he said: "I like Deek, he is a fantastic footballer, and he is a goalscorer, who did very well for Hibs when he was here.

"He is a Hibs fan, everyone knows that, but he is a Celtic player at this moment in time so I can't really go too much into that. But I like goalscorers, every manager likes goalscorers."

Today, however, Paatelainen moved to clarify his remarks, insisting that while he had responded to a question about Riordan, he was talking in more general terms.

He said: "I'm in the market for any striker who scores goals, that was my message, nothing else. I also like David Villa (the Spanish international forward] but that's not going to happen."

Paatelainen has already added French hitman Steve Pinau on loan from Italian Serie A outfit to his squad but hopes to further strengthen his strikeforce before Monday night's transfer deadline after watching his side create and miss numerous chances as they tumbled out of the Co-operative Insurance Cup at the hands of Morton.

Colin Nish, who is expected to recover from a "dead leg" sustained during Tuesday's defeat, is the club's top scorer with three goals while Scotland forward Steven Fletcher has yet to get off the mark.

But today Paatelainen backed the 21-year-old to break his duck sooner rather than later, saying: "I'd rather have him scoring, but I have no worries. He had a tremendous game against Morton, his movement, his work-rate, getting into the right positions.

"All he needs is a tap-in and he will be up and running because he is a finisher although at the moment it is not happening for him."

Paatelainen will give both Rob Jones and Alan O'Brien until the last minute before deciding if they are fit enough to face Motherwell tomorrow.