'Wee Gav' inspired Hibs to defeat Hearts - the story of bad jokes, dancing and team spirit

As Josh Campbell spoke joyously in the Hearts press room after winning the derby, a small man in a Hibs tracksuit came over and slapped him on the back cheekily in congratulation.

Those who attend Hibs game regularly will be aware of Gavin Gillies, the club’s long-serving assistant kitman - although his role at Easter Road has a far wider remit.

Thing is, Gillies wasn’t expected to be at Tynecastle. He has been suffering from ill-health and required emergency treatment last week in hospital. He has been at Hibs for two decades and has seen numerous high and lows, players and staff come and go. So when he was one of the first faces to greet the team upon their arrival on Boxing Day in Gorgie, he gave everybody a lift.

Hibs' Josh Campbell celebrates the derby win over Hearts. | SNS Group

Campbell - a boyhood Hibs fan - made sure Gillies got a big mention, hijacking the line of questioning to name-drop someone close to his heart.

“I'm just going to give a shout out to wee Gav (Gillies), who fell really ill last week,” said Campbell. “He was here. And he got the win today. So just wanted to give a wee shout out to wee Gav. He got the boys through it today.

“I've been at Hibs for 16, 17 years. He was there the first day I was there, welcoming me in. And he's a real big character at the changing ground, that man. If you come in from a defeat at the weekend, he'll lift the spirits right away.

“Whether he's singing, whether he's dancing. Bad jokes. I've heard all the jokes, so I just sit and just ignore them. Because I've heard them all. But all the new boys get to hear them over and over again. But no, it was bad to hear the news of Gav, because he's massive for us, and when we walked in the changing room and seen him at the door at Tynecastle, it was a real smile for everyone.”

It’s an example of the strong team spirit coursing through the Hibs dressing room right now. My word, they’ve needed it. This has been a testing season, bottom of the Premiership table in mid-December before a run of three wins, the latest being Thursday’s 2-1 derby triumph over Hearts, lifting them up to seventh in the table.

The players have always been right behind Gray, even in the darkest of times. The victory at Tynecastle - Hibs’ first there in five years - sparked a jubilant party in front of the away end. The wounds of earlier in the season are healing. There is genuine optimism in the fanbase that finishing in the top six is now the aim, not fighting relegation.

“Mental, words can't describe that to be fair,” was Campbell’s summation of the scenes in the Roseburn Stand. “For a Hibs fan, winning here. My first time winning here. Amazing! Incredible. Seeing them singing your name, it's just the best feeling in the world.”

The Hibs players take the acclaim of their supporters. | SNS Group

Taking centre stage in the celebrations was Elie Youan, Hibs’ flamboyant French forward who cavorted with a corner flag in front of the supporters. “There's only one person who can do that celebration and that's him,” laughed Campbell. “I would never do that. That's mental. I don't think I can dance like that.”

It wasn’t always like this. Gray’s job was on the line just a few weeks ago, and Campbell was out of the team. But one thing that never wavered was team spirit.

“The togetherness of the team has always been there,” said Campbell. “We've never not been together. As we said, it was a bad run of decisions that were going against us. Silly moments from individual people. But when you put that all aside and you move on each week, which we've done, we get the rewards that we're finding now.

“Every year I'll come out of the team sometimes because I've not been performing, which is fair enough. I've always said that. But I'll never shy away from working behind the scenes to get back in. And I've done that and the managers put the trust in me to put me back out there.”

Campbell is revelling in his role behind the two strikers in a 3-5-2 formation. Identified as a No 10 at the start of the season, the 24-year-old lost his place during Hibs winless run before making two consecutive starts for the team.

“It just gives them [strikers Elie Youan and Martin Boyle] the freedom to do what they want because I'm happy to do other people's running,” explained Campbell. “I'll do the man-and-a-half run. So it allows them to have the freedom of floating about the front line and doing what they want. And I'll throw myself about.

Gavin Gillies is a popular member of the Hibs backroom team. | SNS Group

“It's a new position. Well, not new now, but I'm more an eight. Box to box, as you say. But I'm happy to do it as a 10 because I love being the box and scoring goals and having chances. I think I'm a threat.”

Next up for Campbell and Co is a home match against another resurgent team in Kilmarnock, who smashed Aberdeen 4-0 at the same time as Hibs were winning the derby. Both teams are on 21 points and Hibs will be keen to back up their own run of three victories over Ross County, the Dons and Hearts.

“The next game's at home, which is brilliant,” added Campbell. “Fans will be delighted with that. If we win that, we're close to the the top six. And then the season's turned right round, isn't it? So yeah, we're looking forward to it.

“It’s exactly how quick it can turn. This league is mental. It can turn the click of a finger. But no, as you said, we're looking forward to Sunday.”