Hibs sign forward Matthew Hoppe during Ross County match as Kevin Nisbet suffers another injury

New Hibs signing Matthew Hoppe is an American internationalist.

The 21-year-old striker joins from Middlesbrough on a night when Hibs star goalscorer Kevin Nisbet limped off the pitch in Dingwall with a tight hamstring.

Hoppe got his professional start at LA Galaxy Academy in his homeland, but has had spells in Europe with Bundesliga side Schalke 04, where he became the first American to score a hat-trick in the German top-flight and went on to score six that season. He has also had a term in La Liga with Mallorca.

“We’re delighted to add Matthew to the group as he’s someone that’ll add extra quality in the final third,” said Hibs manager Lee Johnson. “He’s a talented player that can play in all three positions across our front-line and someone that joins with good experience being a full US international and that has played regularly in the Bundesliga. We look forward to working with him and welcome him to the club.”

A USA international earning eight caps and scoring one goal, he helped the US National Team win the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2021 and scored the winning goal in their quarter-final against Jamaica. His most recent cap came last weekend against Colombia.

Looking for quality over quantity, the forward follows James Jeggo and CJ Egan-Riley in the door. The Easter Road club have moved 10 players out of the club over the January window, with Ryan Porteous the most high-profile departure.