Stephens is right kind of striker for Hibs

Hibs boss Colin Calderwood raised more than a few eyebrows when he pitched teenage defender David Stephens into action against St Johnstone as an emergency striker.

But while admitting he himself had been surprised by his manager's decision, the 6ft 4in stopper today revealed he's no stranger to playing centre-forward and can actually boast a clutch of international goals.

The former Norwich City youngster can count Slovenia, Macedonia and Austria among his victims, goals coming as he starred for the Under 17 and 19 sides of Wales.

Stephens was unable to add Saints to that list but, he admitted, he was just glad to finally get the chance to show Calderwood what he can do in a green and white shirt in what was not only his first appearance under the new manager but his home debut.

It was a day Stephens had been waiting long enough for, the 19-year-old having tasted SPL action just twice since his summer move to the Capital, enjoying 11 minutes of the 3-2 win over Motherwell at Fir Park on the opening day of the season and a further ten during the 2-1 defeat away to Celtic two months ago.

But if disappointed not to mark his first match at Easter Road with a win, Stephens was happy enough to have been pitched into the action in place of Colin Nish even if it was an unorthodox call by Calderwood who admitted he'd tried "something a little bit quirky" in a bid to claim what would probably have proved to be the decisive goal.

As it was, Hibs and Saints fought out a dour 0-0 draw with the Edinburgh side claiming a little more satisfaction at recording only their second clean sheet of the season having shipped four goals at Inverness seven days earlier.

Stephens said: "I have to admit I couldn't have envisaged my first match for the new manager being at centre-forward. The gaffer told me he was going to put me on up top.

"It was a bit of a surprise but it showed he wants to win every game. It's a position I'd played a few times for Wales at Under 17 and 19 level, possibly because of my height and presence, and I'd managed to score a few goals."

While it was only natural that he took to the pitch with the fleeting thought he could be Hibs hero, Stephens agreed the decision had been something of a gamble for a manager left without a recognised striker on his bench thanks to the injuries suffered by Valdas Trakys, Merouane Zemmama and Darryl Duffy, a situation aggravated by leading scorer Derek Riordan serving a suspension.

And Stephens did have one glimpse of goal, Saints goalkeeper Peter Enckelman managing only to push a Jonathan Grounds cross in his direction only for defender Danny Grainger to make a telling clearance before he could reach the ball.

The Hibs kid said: "We've been a bit short in that department recently so the manager decided to do something different. He asked me to go out there, to work hard and to try to flick the ball on and I felt I did that. Of course it goes through your head as you come on that you might get the winner but it wasn't about me but the team and unfortunately I didn't score or help us get a goal.

"Overall it was disappointing not to win, we maybe need to create a few more chances but the positive was keeping a clean sheet having lost four the previous week."

The 20 minutes spent battling as a lone striker against veteran defender Michael Duberry and Steven Anderson only made Stephens all the more appreciative of the role played by Nish who, unfortunately, once again became a target for the Easter Road boo boys.

He said: "They were probably frustrated that we didn't get a goal but we need them to help us try to turn Easter Road into a fortress.

"After playing up front by myself for even a short spell I told Colin I respected him massively for the job he does because it is so hard up there on your own with no support. I don't know if people fully appreciate how tough it is, being battered about from pillar to post by big centre halves. It's a case of trying to deal with them by playing round them or over their heads."

The visit of Saints, of course, saw the match refereed by Maltese whistler Christian Lautier, one of several officials flown in by the SFA in a strike-busting measure although the hasty departure of Portuguese duo Cosme Mathado and Joao Ferrera on learning the full reasons behind their trip to Scotland caused further confusion.

Mathado had been due to take charge of the match, Lautier and his assistants Philip Agius and Joseph Camilleri redirected to the Capital only after the Scottish Cup third round replay between Beith and Airdrie United at the Ayrshire Juniors' ground, Bellsdale Park, fell victim to the wintry weather.

Stephens said: "I don't know the ins and outs of what's been going on, I just concentrate on my football but I had seen on television that some of the referees who had come to Scotland had goen home.

"However, as players we had to prepare as normal for the game, to block out everything else.

"To me the nationality of the referee didn't matter, who the referee is doesn't affect how you play, you just go out and play as you normally would but I thought he had a good game."

Having been snapped up on a three-year contract by former manager John Hughes, Stephens now aims to continue catching former Scotland defender Calderwood's eye although, he'd imagine, that will be in his more natural position in central defence.

Circumstances have obviously changed, but Stephens said: "I wouldn't say it's been frustrating, all I have done is to try to impress him by working as hard as I can in training. I got a chance at the weekend, I tried to play as well as I could and now it is a case of showing the gaffer that I'm continuing to work hard and that whenever he needs me I'm ready to play."