Shaun Maloney enlists help of Hibs legends ahead of derby as he tries to repair 'lost connection' in Easter Road club's history

Hibs manager Shaun Maloney in upbeat mood during training with his players on Monday ahead of the Edinburgh derby showdown with Hearts at Easter Road on Tuesday night. (Photo by Paul Devlin / SNS Group)

Tuesday night’s Edinburgh derby at Easter Road will be a new experience in every sense for Shaun Maloney.

Not only will it be his maiden clash with Hearts as the Hibernian manager, it will be the first time he has ever attended the fixture in any capacity.

To provide himself with a sense of what it means, as well as to restore a link between past and present at Hibs which he believes has been broken in recent years, Maloney revealed he has called on some club legends to play their part in the build-up.

“No, I’ve never been to an Edinburgh derby before,” he said. “So I invited quite a few ex-players into the training ground this week and I’ve been really pleased they accepted the invitation.

“Pat Stanton and Paul Kane, we had them today at training. I enjoyed listening to the stories they had on their positive experiences - and less positive experiences.

“That’s definitely something we’ll try to carry on, not just for derby games but for every game. The more ex-players, who have achieved great things for our club, that are around the better.

“I think that connection was maybe lost in the last few years. But it coincided with the derby game, so it was good timing.

“It wasn’t like it was a (formal) meeting or anything like that. It was just them having lunch.

“My players were very respectful and introduced themselves. I’ve had Pat here quite a lot already but it was nice to see Paul Kane.

“It was just really listening to their experiences and it wasn’t just about the derby game. With some of the managers they’ve played under, it was also quite interesting to hear their experiences as players here.

“This club has got amazing moments in its history and we have to embrace them and celebrate them, and they have to be a part of the club for a long, long time.

“They have to feel as if this is their club, so they have to be welcomed back into the games, and they are always welcomed at the training ground.

“So I really hope that we have as many as possible come to watch training and have lunch with us. After all, it’s their club.”

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