Stack hopes Hibs start gives career a helping hand

Published on Tuesday 25 August 2009 22:16

NEW Hibernian goalkeeper Graham Stack will aim to shake off the frustrations of his stop-start career when he makes his Easter Road debut against Brechin City tonight.

The 27-year-old spent 12 years at Arsenal but managed only a five-game run in the Carling Cup before leaving in 2006 and has since struggled to establish himself as a regular starter at a host of clubs, suffering from setbacks that have left him cursing his luck and seeking his first competitive action in almost a year.

Spells with Reading and Wolves saw him play second fiddle to American Marcus Hahnemann and Wales internationalist Wayne Hennessey, whilst a loan stint at Leeds United was punctured by injury.

Last summer's transfer to Plymouth Argyle looked to be heading in a more positive direction when he won the club's player of the month award for August, but a bust-up with manager Paul Sturrock resulted in him being frozen out. Circumstances subsequently conspired against him during further loan agreements at both Blackpool and Wolves, where he failed to make it off the bench.

It is no wonder, then, that the Londoner sees his move to Hibs as a fresh chance, albeit one that has got off to a false start with a hamstring injury that has kept him out of John Hughes' thoughts until his planned start in this evening's Co- operative Insurance Cup tie.

He said: "I'm fully fit now and back in the mix, really. The injury hampered me and it was bad timing, having just arrived at the club, but I'm not going to be too disappointed about it. Okay, I've missed the first few games and a lot of friendlies but it's maybe a blessing I got the injury when I did. Hopefully I can stay injury-free from here on in to the end of the season.

"My last competitive match was for Plymouth against Norwich last September. Unfortunately for me, it didn't work out there and I look at this as a fresh start."

Aside from Stack's introduction and possibly one or two other tweaks to the team which defeated Falkirk 3-1 on Saturday, manager John Hughes has promised to send out a strong line-up this evening to face a Brechin team guided by former Easter Road manager Jim Duffy and player Kevin McAllister.

John Collins guided the capital outfit to the trophy in 2007 but they crashed out of the competition at the first time of asking under Mixu Paatelainen last year in a shock extra-time defeat to Morton.

Hughes said: "I'm going to put out the strongest team I can. I want to win the cup, if I can. I'm in it to win it, as simple as that, and I don't treat it lightly.

"If our attitude, application and professionalism isn't right then we could be in for a right hard night. Last year we got knocked out at this stage but a club like Hibs should be battling in the latter stages of cup competitions."

Meanwhile, Hughes – who insists he is not interested in selling striker Colin Nish, a reported target for Scunthorpe United – believes he has landed a 'goal machine' in one-time 2million Sunderland signing Anthony Stokes.

The 21-year-old rattled in 16 goals in 18 matches on loan with Hughes at Falkirk three years ago and, despite the player's on and off-field difficulties at Sunderland since then, the Easter Road boss insists he is now working with a better player.

He added: "Why do managers go back to their old players? Because they know what they're getting and I know what I'm getting with Anthony Stokes. He's a goal machine, if you keep him fit and get him in the right frame of mind. I think he wants to go and succeed and he's got one or two people he wants to prove wrong.

"You have to learn from your mistakes and I think I've actually got a better player now from the one I had the last time.

"For the experience of being in the English Premier League and from being out on loan in the Championship, I think you have to become a better footballer."