Interview: David Wotherspoon - Long journey in dark place

Like his team-mates, Wotherspoon found himself wrapped up in his own thoughts, contemplating not only Hibs' Scottish Cup exit at the hands of First Division Ross County but reflecting on just where it's all gone wrong for John Hughes' side in recent weeks.

The furious, but understandable, reaction from supporters to the nature of defeat at Victoria Park, their ire heightened as a run of one win in eight became one victory in nine with Hibs slipping from third to fifth in the SPL table, was an entirely new experience for the 20-year-old.

Until recently Wotherspoon had enjoyed nothing but the good things football could throw at him, a member of the Hibs Under-21 side which swept all before them last season as they lifted the SPL League title, the SFA Youth Cup and the East of Scotland Shield.

Triumphs which helped earn the Perth-born kid a first-team contract and enter a dream world where he instantly became a regular in Hughes' side, marking his debut with a goal and helping Hibs take everyone by surprise as they raced up the SPL table on the back of a 12-match undefeated run.

Suddenly, though, it's all gone wrong, leaving Wotherspoon, like others, to question his own ability as everything, or so it would appear, has come crashing down about his ears.

Today, however, the Scotland Under-21 star insisted he'd emerge at the end of this dark tunnel as a far better player for the experience, one which he claims will see him develop that mental toughness which will help him cope with whatever the future throws at him.

He said: "It's obviously been a tough time. You start to ask questions of yourself, what are you doing wrong, how can you improve, everything like that. I've been asking the gaffer, the coaches, the more experienced players what I've been doing wrong, what can I do differently.

"You feel you are not as confident, that your touch is not there and wonder what has happened. You ask all these questions and even start to question your own ability.

"I even asked my family but the answer from everyone has been to keep my head up, to keep working away as I have been all season, both in training and every game and to try to look to the positives."

The answer, in short, is simply to tough it out, that, like his team-mates, his natural footballing ability hasn't just disappeared never to return although, as Wotherspoon admitted, it's important Hughes' players get back to winning ways as quickly as possible, hopefully starting with tomorrow's match against relegation haunted Falkirk.

What makes Hibs' hopefully temporary fall from grace all the harder to take was the plaudits Hughes and his players had earned earlier in the season as talk turned to the Easter Road side splitting the Old Firm or even mounting a title challenge of their own. Wotherspoon, however, insisted expectations hadn't risen too high nor, he claimed should the undoubted bad luck he and his team-mates have endured recently be used as an excuse.

He said: "The top end of the League is where we want to be, that's what the gaffer wants and earlier in the season we proved we are a good side although results over the last eight or nine games have had people questioning that.

"Everything was going along great and while you don't take things for granted you get on that roll and confidence rises. But once it goes down everyone starts to question your ability and everything about you.

"It would be great if you could distill confidence, put it in a bottle and take a swig of it before every game but it doesn't work like that. The gaffer has been saying whatever we've switched off over the last few weeks we need to switch back on.

"As for luck, different teams get the rub of the green at different times. It's not due to that but how we perform in games and I don't think we've performed to the highest level and it is up to us to get back to that, to prove to the fans we have the commitment and desire for this club.

"On a personal level I know I haven't been playing as well as I can, it's a test of character for myself and I need to prove to everyone I can handle it. I have to get myself back on track, to get that mindset for every game, every training session."

And Wotherspoon insisted he wouldn't let his youth act as his defence saying: "I came in as a boy going into a man's team but I feel I have grown up over the course of the season. I want rid of that tag of being a kid, I've had plenty of games, I've got a bit experience behind me and I need to show it."

With Hibs' interest in the Scottish Cup ended for another year, the sole focus for Wotherspoon and his team-mates is now overhauling Dundee United – who visit Easter Road next Wednesday – to retake third place.

To that end, he insisted, it's important everyone gets over the bitter disappointment of Tuesday night although, as he admitted, it will probably take a long time to do so.

He said: "It was a long journey home on Tuesday night, particularly after that result but it gave us all a bit of time to think, to go over in our heads what we had done, what had gone wrong. There was very little chat, the boys just sitting in their own bubbles lost in their own thoughts.

"It would be patronising the fans to say we owe them one after that. We know how disappointed they were and still are, the players feel exactly the same.

"But there's nothing we can do about it now, it's what happens over the next few weeks which counts. I think with the way the draws had gone in the Cup it had taken over everyone's thinking but no-one should forget that despite what has happened we are still only two points off third. It's important we now get back on the winning trail as quickly as possible and tomorrow gives us that chance. It's not going to be easy, though. Falkirk are battling for their SPL existence and while they'll feel they've been dealt a blow by St Mirren and Hamilton winning in midweek they've picked up some decent results.

"They'll be up for it and we have to be just as determined. We have to get out there. get stuck in and do our utmost to get those three points."