'Outcry': Why Hibs' Jordan Smith won't tell proud mum to stop - and why he's loving life at Easter Road

There was barely a ripple when Hibs announced on July 18 last year that little-known goalkeeper Jordan Smith had signed for the club on a two-year deal.

The former Nottingham Forest man had never been a bona-fide No 1 in his career and at the age of 29, was expected to once again play back-up, this time to Josef Bursik, who had joined to far more fanfare on a season-long loan from Club Brugge.

On paper, Smith had the CV of someone destined to always be a No 2 - but now he’s the man with the gloves. He came in at the end of November after one too many poor performances from Bursik and has kept his place ever since, growing in stature game by game.

Jordan Smith is now the undisputed No 1 at Hibs. | SNS Group

Having recently turned 30, Smith - or “Smudge” as he affectionately known to his peers - is enjoying the longest run of games in his career. He has started 14 in a row and has only lost once, a 3-0 defeat by Celtic back in early December. The stopper has played a big part in Hibs’ renaissance.

The goal will be to continue that revival in Paisley on Sunday. Hibs have lost twice to St Mirren this season, including a 3-0 humbling at the SMiSA Stadium on the opening day of the Premiership season. They return to Renfrewshire in a much better place.

Smith’s first match was a 3-3 draw with Aberdeen in which he looked rusty. It was his first meaningful match for two-and-a-half years, so being culpable for a couple of the goals is understandable. His improvement trajectory is laudable. He is agile, does the basics well, has become more commanding at crosses and is a very diligent distributor. He recently saved a penalty at Ross County and the defence appear far more comfortable with him behind them than Bursik.

So it is no surprise to hear of Smith revelling in his current position. “Honestly, it’s above and beyond,” said Smith, “and I don't mean this disrespectfully - but it's probably not necessarily something that I looked out for, being in the English divisions.

“However, I’ve been blown away by the standard of the games, the turnouts at the games, the atmosphere. It has all superseded my expectations. I'm delighted with how it’s worked out and that I made the decision to come here and play at such an elite level.”

Would Smith say this is the most enjoyable spell of his career? “Yes, I would, absolutely,” he replied without a moment’s hesitation. “There's no hiding that I've not played an awful lot of games in my career, but as I touched on previously, I wanted to make sure I stayed around what I call an elite environment.

“You play against every team in the division, but ultimately your Celtics, your Rangers, your Hearts games, they're the ones that there's a lot of media attention. There's a lot of fans who turn out in the numbers, and the atmospheres that they create are fantastic.

Jordan Smith recently saved a penalty for Hibs against Ross County. | SNS Group

“So, the fact that we’ve been able to get results alongside some of those games has been fantastic. That’s just added to the enjoyment, and you're probably right, this is the most enjoyable it's been in my career so far. Long may it continue, I say.”

Smith has bought a house with his young family and feels settled in Edinburgh. “I’ve made a real go of it up here and, luckily, I’m backed really well by the family,” he explained. “We bought a house up here, we’ve made a real go of it, and I've been welcomed with open arms. That’s certainly something that I'm very happy with.”

He’s not the only one who is smiling. Some 260 miles down the road near Mansfield, there is a proud mother. Carol Smith has become a bit of a celebrity with Hibs fans after taking to social media to thank them for their public support of her son. As the interview draws to a close, Smith cannot not be asked about his mum’s fame.

“I knew I was going to get asked that!” he laughed. “I speak about family with nothing but pride and my mum's certainly a part of that.

“I told her to knock it on the head a couple of times and I think that spurred her on to doing more. Rather than reply to the majority, I think she tries to reply to all! But it's nice. It's great at the minute because things are going well. It would be interesting to see if it turns, if things weren't going quite so well.

“She’s a very proud mum. I remember being under-11 and getting injured. I think she got to me before the physio did. It can be a little bit embarrassing at times, but being a parent myself now and having two kids who I'm very proud of, I totally understand it. You just want the best for them in whatever it is that they do.

“It’s just thank you to the Hibs fans and the community for taking to me the way that they have done. It’s also great the way they’ve included my family the way they have done. There probably was a little bit of a risk coming up here. The fact that my mum feels such a part of it, but being a long way from me is really nice.

From left, Josef Bursik, Jordan Smith and Craig Samson during a Hibs training session. | SNS Group

“And I'm not going to tell her to stop anymore because I think it's got to the point now where if she stopped replying, there'd probably be an outcry.”

Mrs Smith has yet to make it up to a game but the plan is to change that soon. Hibs’ next two home matches are against Celtic and Hearts. “I'm going to have to make sure she gets up,” the keeper added. “Logistically, it's a little bit difficult but we'll make sure she comes up and enjoys the time. But I think the fans wouldn't let me off the hook if she didn't get a lap of honour at this point.”

And with that, the likeable Smith is off to prepare for St Mirren and maintain Hibs’ rise. If they win on Sunday, just look out for his mum on X ...