Hughes joins in tributes after death of former Hibee Smith

Smith, who had two spells at Hibs and shared his Leicester City debut with Gary Lineker, played his youth football with Musselburgh Windsor before Willie MacFarlane signed him on schoolboy forms for Hibs.

Hughes said: "I knew Bobby well, I had played golf with him a few times and he was a great guy. He was a gentleman and is a great loss at such a young age.

"I was really sad to hear the news that he had passed away and everyone at the club would like to pass on their condolences. Our thoughts are with his family."

Eddie Turnbull had taken over as manager by the time Smith became a senior player at Easter Road and, between 1972 and 1978, he made just over 150 appearances, scoring 19 goals.

In the vast majority of those games, Smith played as an attacking left-sided midfielder, though he was used by Turnbull at left back as well when Eric Schaedler was out injured. He was signed for Leicester City by Jock Wallace and was one of three debutants on New Year's Day 1979 against Oldham at Filbert Street, Lineker also making his bow at the start of his illustrious career.

Smith, who scored in that game, became a first-team regular at Leicester and, in just his second season there, helped them win the Second Division Championship and top-flight football by scoring 12 goals. The following couple of seasons saw him in and out of the side and Smith had loan spells at Peterborough and Hibs.

But his career at Leicester was revived when Gordon Milne took over as manager and, playing at full back at the time, he was captain of City's title-winning side in the Second Division in 1983.

Smith moved back to Hibs in October 1986 and signed a two-year deal only to see John Blackley leave the club soon afterwards and be replaced by Alex Miller.

Smith moved to Dunfermline, where he was made captain by Jim Leishman and led the Pars to the First Division title in 1989.

"Bobby was a smashing player and it was one of the saddest things I've had to do when, on the Monday after we'd won the title, I handed him over his medal but told him (due to the fact he was 36 at the time] I wouldn't be able to give him a contract for the Premier Division," said Leishman.

"We shook hands, he said 'cheers' and I'm delighted to say we remained close friends as he was a smashing bloke."

After leaving Dunfermline, Smith then had a short spell under John Lambie at Partick Thistle before ending his career at Berwick Rangers.

Smith ran a pub in Dalkeith called Smith's Bar before becoming a taxi driver in Edinburgh.