Hibs Cult Heroes

George Best

George Best was clearly not the player he had been with Manchester United when he became one of Hibs' most improbable signings, a desperate move with the club deep in trouble at the end of 1979 and badly needing a lift.

The idea was first mooted by the Evening News and his arrival came against the wishes of manager Eddie Turnbull. But if Best, separated by his greatness by many years of bad living, was past his best, he remained a charismatic figure, his home debut against Partick Thistle attracting a crowd of more than 22,000.

Throughout his short stay at Easter Road, large crowds turned out every time Best did. In total Best played 25 games for Hibs, scored four goals and three times let the club down by failing to appear and was sacked after a drinking binge with the French rugby team only to be reinstated a week later.

Gordon Smith

Gordon Smith is said by many to have been the most artistic football player ever to have graced the Scottish game.

A fantastic winger, Smith not only played senior football for a staggering 23 years but won the League Championship with Hibs, Hearts and Dundee and played for all three in the European Cup – some record when he was over 30 when the competition started. It is, though, as a member of Easter Road's Famous Five that Smith is most fondly remembered, Hibs having stepped in to sign the 16-year-old as Capital rivals Hearts dithered over making a move. Alongside Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull and Willie Ormond he formed possibly the most formidable forward line ever in Scotland, Smith alone scoring a career total of 364 goals – including a hat-trick on his debut against Hearts at Tynecastle.Incredibly, Smith wasn't regarded as a first choice for Scotland, gaining only 18 caps, although Reilly reckons it should have been nearer 118.

Released in 1959 by Hibs, who reckoned he was a spent force, Smith won the League and Cup double with Hearts before again being freed only to lift the title once more in the dark blue of Dundee.

Russell Latapy

He wasn't called the Little Magician for nothing, and it was the midfield skills of Russell Latapy which ensured he became an instant hero with the Easter Road support.

Few, however, would even have heard of the star from Trinidad when Alex McLeish snapped him up after watching him in action for just five minutes during a bounce match against Brechin.

Tipped off by Tony Rougier, McLeish soon discovered Latapy had quite a footballing pedigree, not only a player with more than 100 caps to his name but someone who had played in the Champions League semi-finals.

And he came with a glowing recommendation from a certain Bobby Robson, his boss at Porto, who, in his own inimitable fashion told McLeish: "Oh, the boy Lapaty (sic]. Good little player."

And so he proved to be, becoming the First Division player of the year as Hibs strolled to the title, clinched by two Latapy goals against Hamilton at Firhill, although he did miss from the penalty spot.

While many questioned whether his frame could cope with the rigours of the Scottish game, the difficulty for opposition players was even getting close to Latapy who proved he could more than hold his own as Hibs moved back into the SPL.

There was a verve and flair to Latapy's play which was complemented by the impressive side McLeish had put together, the Soca Warrior revelling in the big matches, none more so than the Edinburgh derbies.

Astonishingly, Latapy never played in a losing Hibs side against Hearts, ensuring his place in the club's history books as he scored a sensational sixth goal on a date etched in the memory of every Hibee fan, October 22, 2000.

A close friend of former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke and cricket ace Brian Lara, Latapy was equally adored at home, his Easter Road team-mates realising just how big a star the little man was as he was feted where ever he went as Hibs spent a winter break in Trinidad and Tobago, their arrival met by a steel band and all the local dignataries.

Latapy, however, had the reputation for enjoying a night out and it was one such sojourn in Edinburgh with Yorke which brought his Easter Road career to an end, as he was caught drinking and driving before a match.

Stints with Rangers, Dundee United and Falkirk followed and Latapy finally secured a dream which he had pursued for 16 years – to play in the World Cup finals (Germany 2006) – before hanging up his boots.

Ally McLeod

Although known throughout his career as Ally McLeod, the centre-forward shouldn't be confused with the Ally MacLeod of Scotland and Argentina "fame", a winger who had also played with Hibs a few years earlier.

Although they shared a name they were very different players representing very different eras.

Alexander Hector McMillan MacLeod was a sensational young striker, making his name by scoring all four goals for St Mirren in a 4-1 win over Rangers in 1971. A move to Southampton followed but he was unable to settle and signed for Hibs in 1974. MacLeod went on to play more than 300 games for Hibs and he was a prolific marksman in a green-and-white shirt.

Alex Edwards

Alex Edwards was a passionate and fiery character, known for a quick temper which landed him in plenty of trouble with referees but nonetheless was one of the key figures in Turnbull's Tornadoes. Having made his debut for Dunfermline, ironically in a 4-0 win against Hibs just five days after his 16th birthday, Edwards won a Scottish Cup medal (against Hearts) with the Pars and featured in several big European matches, including a 6-2 hammering of Valencia.

A little man with a fantastic footballing brain, Edwards soon attracted attention from a number of big English clubs but signed for Hibs for a bargain 13,000 following an East End Park pay dispute when he was 24.

He thrived under the guidance of Eddie Turnbull and won the League Cup and Dryburgh Cup badges.