Preview: Dundee Utd v Hibs - Eoin Doyle ‘can’t wait for challenge’ at Hibs

Doyle has fond memories of Sligo, where he scored 25 goals last season. But, as he explained yesterday in his first interview as a Hibs player, he had always dreamed of moving to a bigger league.

“I can’t wait for the challenge ahead,” he said. “I got a call from the gaffer last weekend and it was just a matter of getting over as soon as possible.

“When I heard about Hibs’ interest, my mind was set on coming here. You hear about other clubs, but there was nothing concrete and I’m happy to be here.

“I was nearly signing for Sligo again. It would have been done in a day or two, but the call came and there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to come over.

“It’s a big step for me. It’s known as a better standard of football than back home, bigger gates and more attention. It’s a bigger opportunity.

“As a footballer in Ireland you always have plans of getting across the water. You always dream of it, so it’s always in the back of your mind that you want to move over. When it happened I was delighted.”

Doyle will have to wait a bit longer before making his Hibs debut, as he will not receive international clearance until the transfer window opens on New Year’s Day. In common with Derek Riordan, whose No 10 jersey he has inherited, he can play in a wide role, but prefers to be seen as a striker.

“I’ve played all across the middle up front, I played right-back and on the left wing last season too. I’m versatile in that sense, but I see myself as a striker. I played as a striker as a kid.“

As a youngster, Doyle was in the same team as Antony Stokes, but admitted he was not quite so prolific a goal scorer as the Celtic striker.

“Stokesy and me played up front together when we were schoolboys at Shelbourne. That was from the age of about ten to maybe 14, 15,” said Doyle.

“He scored a lot more goals than me. He was a cut above the rest of the schoolboys, to be fair. He was lethal as a kid.”

Fenlon, who knows Doyle well from his own time as a player and manager in Ireland, said that his first signing’s versatility was an important asset. Above all, however, the Hibs boss is confident that Doyle can fit into the Scottish game quickly – and that he will get goals.

“I know loads about him,” Fenlon said. “We just wanted to have a look at him to see where he was fitness-wise, that he didn’t have too much to work on.

“We’re pleased that he’s come in. He gives us a different dimension to what we have.

“He plays on the shoulder a fair bit rather than coming short, and his movement is very, very good. He’s quick enough, and he can play wide on the right or on the left. He’s a very good finisher around the box.

“He’s got different attributes. There are parts of his game that we need to work on and improve, but he’s going to be a good addition for us.”

“He’s played at a really high level, in a very good Sligo Rovers team who were top scorers in the league last year. He’s played in European football, and he’s played for Shamrock Rovers, a big club, so he’ll have no problem. And he’s a confident boy as well.

“The top three or four teams in Ireland would compete in the league here. They may not get into the top four, but they would definitely compete, there’s no doubt about that.

“He’ll take a little bit of time to get used to the game and get his fitness levels up, but he’ll score goals at this level.”

Level on points with Dunfermline at the bottom of the SPL, Hibs badly need someone to score goals for them, having failed to register during Fenlon’s two completed games in charge so far.

Garry O’Connor and Leigh Griffiths are likely to be charged with the responsibility of changing that today at Tannadice, though not necessarily at the same time, as Fenlon seems set to persist with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Under-19 midfielder Sam Stanton will again travel with the squad, but Isaiah Osbourne is out with an abductor muscle problem.

Like Doyle, Fenlon had hoped for a move to Scottish football for some time before it was realised, and was on the brink of leaving Bohemians to join Dundee United two years ago. But, as he prepared for the visit to Tayside, he had no time to think of what might have been.

“I’ve just focused on my own job, and going up there to try and get something out of the game.

“They’re a decent side – I know a few of the players there and we played them in a pre-season friendly with Bohs. So we’re going to have to play really well.

“The one thing we haven’t had in the last couple of games – probably in the last three games if you include the [abandoned] Motherwell game as well – is a little bit of luck. That little bit of luck hasn’t gone with us and to win football matches at times you need to have that.”