Kyle Magennis on the Hibs team-mate who really 'deserved man of the match' against Livingston

He may not have got on the scoresheet, and was overlooked for the man-of-the-match award, but most Hibs fans left Easter Road on Saturday raving about the performance of Elie Youan.

Kyle Magennis celebrates with Hibs team-mate Elie Youan after netting the third goal in the 4-0 win over Livingston. (Photo by Paul Devlin / SNS Group)

Even team-mate Kyle Magennis, who had every right to hog the limelight having bagged a double – his first goals since returning from a year out injured – was happy to defer to the Frenchman on loan from St Gallen.

Youan has struggled to fully win over the Hibs support since his summer move, but his dazzling wing play was a key feature of the 4-0 win over Livingston, who had midfielder Jason Holt red carded after just 15 minutes for a lunge on Kevin Nisbet.

The 23-year-old provided both crosses for Magennis’ headers either side of half-time – Hibs third and fourth goals of a convincing win after Nisbet and Chris Cadden had put the home side two goals up in as many minutes.

Goalkeeper David Marshall was announced as the sponsors' man of the match after saving two penalties in quick succession from Isma Goncalves and Jack Fitzwater to preserve Hibs’ clean sheet late in the match. But Magennis insisted Youan was the star of the show, despite his own goal-scoring heroics.

“I was absolutely buzzing because it’s been a long season for me, with the amount of time I was out injured," Magennis said. "It’s great just to be back – and to get on the score sheet as well. I’m picking up where I left off.

“I’m absolutely buzzing for Youan, as well, to get the couple of assists today, because he’s had quite a tough time here. But he’s coming from a different country, he’s trying to adapt his game – and he was absolutely brilliant. I thought he deserved man of the match, ahead of everyone, to be honest.

“We see it every day in training, he’s a brilliant player, so fast. But it’s a learning process for him to come over and adjust his game. I think the gaffer and the other coaches have been brilliant with him, working on what they want him to do."

Hibs manager Lee Johnson revealed Youan has become something of a project for the coaching staff as they attempt to mould a player with undoubted potential into a more complete performer.

“We’ve been working our socks off with him in terms of the organisation," Johnson said. "Obviously, he’s rapid, he’s got good feet and he can repeatedly sprint. But there are other parts of his game he’s got to bump it. It’s seeing the game develop, it’s that football IQ – mainly off the ball. If we don’t get off the ball right then on the ball is irrelevant.

“Against Rangers I thought the did it really well. People might not have thought he had a brilliant game but I’m watching the team shuffles and the positions they’re in, where I’ve asked them to be and where they then receive it on the counter-attack. He did that really well.

“Today was a slightly different game. We asked Lewis Stevenson to be almost an inverted full-back, which left Elie on the outside. I like Livingston’s right-back [Nicky Devlin], he’s a good player and quick; he trusts his pace. But Elie got the better of him from minute one, really.”