Johnathan seeks SPL Ground-ing

But as far as Hibs new boy Johnathan Grounds is concerned he'd happily face the same team every week if it guarantees him first-team football.

The on-loan Middlesbrough defender has been left waiting for his first chance to pull on a green-and-white shirt but now he's just desperate for tomorrow's clash with Inverness Caledonian Thistle to get underway.

Signed by boss John Hughes on transfer deadline day, the 22-year-old found his new career put on hold thanks to the international break as the latest European Championship qualifying campaign began.

Now he is anxious to reacquaint himself with Easter Road although, he admitted, the Hibs ground has undergone a remarkable transformation since his last vist, a pre-season friendly which Middlesbrough, then managed by Gareth Southgate, won 3-2.

They had to come from behind to do so, 'Boro trailing to a Steven Fletcher double before hitting Hibs with a three-goal blitz in just seven minutes as 12.5 million Brazilian striker Alfonso Alves stepping off the bench to claim two either side of a David Wheater header.

The Hibs team from that day is, of course, much changed, but 22-year-old Grounds admitted he's been astounded at the difference the new 6400 capacity East Stand has made to his new home.

He said: "The ground is looking brilliant, the new stand has changed the whole place, I remember that game a couple of years ago well although there aren't too many familiar faces remaining from that day. I remember Colin Nish playing and Chris Hogg but other than them there's not too many others."

One of three arrivals before the deadline, Hughes also snapping up former Falkirk striker Darryl Duffy and Ghanaian defender Francis Dickoh from Dutch club Utrecht, Grounds believes competition for places each week is going to be stiff based on the evidence of his first full week's training with his new team-mates.

He said: "I think there are going to be a lot of selection issues for the manager which is always good for any club. The boys tell me six new players have arrived since the end of last season.

"At Middlesbrough it's been more or less one-way traffic with Gordon Strachan signing a few players from up here while I find myself heading in the opposite direction. I know people say teams play each other too often in the SPL and say it can be stifling but at the age I am I need to get going and it wouldn't bother me if I was playing against the same club every week at the minute.

"I haven't played for a few weeks since Middlesbrough beat Chesterfield in the Carling Cup so I can't wait to get started."

Grounds was honest enough to admit he isn't over-familiar with the SPL but has picked the brains of former Hibs midfielder Kevin Thomson, one of just a host of Scottish-based players signed by Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan since he took over on Tees-side from Southgate, stars such as Stephen McManus, Barry Robson, Willo Flood and Scott McDonald from his former club Celtic; Thomson and Kris Boyd from Rangers and Aberdeen hitman Lee Miller.

Although he'd played 20 matches for the Championship outfit last season, the influx of new faces lessened Grounds' own playing opportunities, leaving him to jump at the chance of playing in Scotland's top flight.

He said: "I spoke to the manager (Strachan] and he said the opportunity might not be there for me so get myself a team, try to push on as much as I can, come back and we'll see what the situation is then.

"It's a new adventure, one I am looking forward to. My aim is to get my head down and get on the field as often as I can. "I know a bit about the SPL, we watched quite a few of the early games although the interest is primarily on Rangers and Celtic. I know it is a very competitive league but when I spoke to Kevin he told me Hibs are always a club that does well and a team which always tries to get the ball down and play which, hopefully, we'll be able to do on that new pitch which is looking so fantastic.

"I also have to say the club's training centre exceeded all my expectations. Kevin told me the club had opened their own training ground since he'd moved on - his own experience was training on public parks --but the facilities we have at East Mains are fantastic.

"I have to admit I don't know too much about Inverness other than they were in the First Division last season but that's also part of the attraction, playing against different teams and going to the various grounds."

One thing, however, Grounds is well aware of is the need for victory not only tomorrow but the following Saturday when Hamilton visit Easter Road given the back-to-back defeats suffered by Hughes players at the hands of Rangers and St Mirren before their enforced lay-off.

He said: "Of course we are looking forward to getting back to winning ways. The manager has brought in a couple of defenders in Francis and myself so hopefully we can help the team keep a few clean sheets. "It's also nice for me to, hopefully, have the opportunity to kick off my career at home. Fingers crossed these matches at Easter Road tomorrow and next week will see us pick up six points and kick us up the table a bit. Then we have an away match against Kilmarnock in the Cooperative Insurance League Cup followed by a trip to Celtic Park and, I have to admit, I'm looking forward to the Old Firm games and the Edinburgh derby with Hearts, these are the games you see on television back home."

Other than winning a place in Hughes' plans, Grounds admitted he wasn't looking any further forward than the end of the year saying: "I'm here until January but I do no know what happens after that. I think there could be an option to take it to the end of the season but, for the moment, I am just concentrating on playing as many games as I can for Hibs."