Hibs boss Calderwood hands Callum Booth new long-term contract

NEW DEAL: Callum Booth

Booth is currently on loan at Brechin City having helped Jim Weir's outfit emerge as challengers to Livingston for the Second Division title but, as the Evening News revealed yesterday, he will return to Edinburgh early next month and immediately find himself in Calderwood's first team plans.

And the highly-rated youngster, part of the all-conquering Hibs Under-19 side of two seasons ago, will do so buoyed by his new deal with Calderwood predicting a bright future for the 19-year-old who, coincidentally, was born, like himself, in Stranraer.

Today Booth, who scored two goals in 12 matches for Brechin following on a loan spell with Arbroath last season, said: "I'm excited about my future with Hibs and pleased to have signed the new contract.

"Over the past two seaons I believe I've benefited a lot from going out on loan to Arbroath and Brechin and now I can put into practice what I have learned.

"I got my first Scotland Under-21 cap a few weeks ago and now to sign a long-term contract with Hibs has made 2010 a very special year. I'm hoping to buil on that by making 2011 even better by making the breakthrough at first team level although I know I will have to be patient."

Although a regular with Brechin Booth, who can also play in midfield, continued to train at Hibs East Mains training centre where he has caught the eye of Calderwood over the past few months.

The former Scotland defender said: "Callum is a player who has impressed me on the training pitch and the feedback we have received from his performances for Brechin has been very positive.

"He has shown a good attitude and a hunger to learn and that suggests he will continue to progress over the next few years at the club.

"He has a lot of ability and the fact he can play in both defence and midfield offers us different options, he will be a valuable member of the squad."

Booth will be joined in that squad by striker Kurtis Byrne who will also rejoin Hibs next month having scored seven goals in the first half of the season for East Fife and Sean Welsh, captain of that Under-19-side, who has been given a new contract to the end of the season having missed the first half of the campaign through injury.

Welsh's deal was due to expire shortly but, Calderwood insisted, it would have been unfair to simply jettison the promising midfielder without giving him the chance to stake his claim for a first team place.

He said: "Sean has been working away diligently on his rehabilitation and is now back training with the first team squad. It will now be up to him to try to force his way into the plans."

And Byrne, he revealed, would already have been firmly in his plans had he not been farmed out to East Fife. The Hibs boss said: "Kurtis has an instinct for sniffing a chance, he's scored some goals for East Fife and would certianly have been on the bench had he been here."

Scott Taggart will also be back with Hibs following a spell with Ayr United but Ewan Moyes will remain with Brechin, Calderwood reckoning that with Sol Bamba, Francis Dickoh, Chris Hogg, Paul Hanlon and David Stephens all vying for a place in central defence he has plenty of cover in that area, allowing the youngster, who has also been on loan at Livingston and Arbroath, to gain further first team experience elswhere.