Hibs: Gong reward for travails, claims Calderwood

Hibs boss Colin Calderwood has claimed his first Clydesdale Bank Manager of the Month title was as much a reward for the tough times he's been through at Easter Road as his triumphant February.

Calderwood had endured a dismal run of just two points from ten SPL matches, a record which saw Hibs threatened with a relegation dog-fight.

But in a stunning turnaround, Calderwood and his players stormed through February, winning all four matches and making it five in a row on the first day of this month to re- ignite hopes of a top six finish.

The success resulted in the former Scotland defender being named the SPL's top boss for the month, while 19-year-old Callum Booth picked up the Young Player Award.

Today, however, Calderwood insisted February's impressive record was down to the weeks of hard slog at the club's East Mains training ground as he and his players worked tirelessly to turn their failing season around.

While delighted with the recognition from the SPL's sponsors, Calderwood pointed out that in the great scale of things it didn't mean Hibs had been successful adding: "What you have to be careful of is celebrating too much.

"It's a reward for everything that happened prior to that month, the good work that was done is coming to fruition and we are happy with it."

Throughout his troubled introduction to the SPL, Calderwood insisted his self-belief, which many would see as having been tested to virtually breaking point, had never faltered.

He said: "As manager it's vital to lead and I was sure we would come out of our difficult position. My certainty about turning things around never waned."

And if Calderwood always shows little sign of "losing it", the Hibs boss invariably appearing to be well in control of his emotions regardless of the situation, he insisted no-one should doubt his winning mentality.

He told Hibernian TV: "There's still a switch in there that can fire at some point. It was always there with me as a player but you have to be a different person when you are involved in a game than you are afterwards.

"During a game it can be completely different. I was told I was basically like that as a player, what I am like on the pitch is not what I am like off it. What you see off the pitch is a bit of control but that does take away the real desire and burning ambition I have."