Surprise call up for Hibs ace Stevenson

FACED with a free weekend with Hibs, like the rest of the SPL inactive as the focus again turns to international football, Easter Road star Lewis Stevenson was looking forward to getting away for a few days.

However, he had Manchester more in mind than Azerbaijan, his plans altering radically as he learned he had been recalled to the Scotland Under-21 squad for their latest European Championship qualifying match.

But, while delighted to be involved with Scotland following a break of more than a year, Stevenson was left with the unenviable task of telling his girlfriend Julia their holiday was off. He said: "She's been pestering me for a wee while to get away because, obviously, when you play football you rarely get a weekend off.

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"This seemed like the ideal opportunity so she'll be devastated to hear we won't be going after all.

"We'd been thinking of a few days in Manchester but she'll be left at home while I leave with the Under-21s on Thursday for Azerbaijan.

"I have to admit I had to look at a map to find out where it is, it's quite a distance away but it's always nice to see another bit of the world.

"It was a bit of a surprise to get the call. I hadn't really been thinking about it as the last time I was in a squad was against Lithuania last year.

"However, it's always great to be called upon by your country."

Billy Stark's squad have made a promising start to their qualifying campaign, earning back-to-back wins over Albania only to lose away to Austria before recording a 1-0 victory against Belarus in their last match.

As such, Stevenson doesn't know what part he might play in the Tofig Bakhramov Stadium in Baku, admitting he might, as he has so often found himself at club level this season, filling a seat on the bench.

Stevenson, who will join Easter Road team-mates Paul Hanlon and David Wotherspoon for the long trip east, said: "The boys have made a great start to the campaign and must have a great chance of qualifying.

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"Having not been involved for a wee while I don't know what Billy Stark's plans for me are, I'll just have to wait and see what happens."

The Scotland call, however, wasn't the only surprise for Stevenson, coming as it did just 48 hours after he'd started his first SPL match of the season, the derby against Hearts at Tynecastle.

The 21-year-old's only prior action was a substitute appearance as Hibs boss John Hughes shuffled his side during the 1-1 draw against Rangers at Ibrox a fortnight earlier, having been returned to the role of substitute during the 2-0 victory over Aberdeen the following weekend.

And it was only on the morning of the trip to Gorgie that he learned he would be in Hughes' starting line-up after Ivory Coast ace Sol Bamba pulled up injured in training the day before.

He said: "Although I was delighted to get a bit of the game at Ibrox I wasn't too disappointed to find myself back on the bench the following week because the team has been playing so well and the gaffer went with the same side for the fourth game running.

"I'd been training on Friday thinking I'd most likely be on the bench at Tynecastle and, even when I saw Sol was struggling a bit, I fully expected him to be fine.

"I did go to bed that night thinking I might play but I didn't know for definite until Saturday morning.

"Like any other player, I am desperate to play in as many games as possible but, as I have said all along, when you aren't in the team you have to be ready to take any opportunity which comes your way.

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"The fact it was a derby at Tynecastle was irrelevant, you have to be prepared whatever the game might be." Stevenson slotted in at left-back as Ian Murray moved inside to partner skipper Chris Hogg in central defence, the pair providing an unshakeable barrier as Hearts enjoyed the upper hand for the opening 45 minutes before Hibs finished the stronger, only two great saves from Jambos goalkeeper Janos Balogh denying Colin Nish and then Derek Riordan.

Although he agreed that a draw was probably a fair result at the end of the day, Stevenson, like many of his team-mates, felt a degree of disappointment at not hitting the high standard of play they have set themselves this season, passing up not only the opportunity to open up a 14-point gap on Hearts but to retain second place, splitting the Old Firm.

He said: "I don't think either side had too many chances. We had a couple of shots towards the end of the game and they had a couple themselves but that was about it.

"They had more of the game particularly in the first half but we weathered the storm and drawing at Tynecastle isn't the worst result in the world.

"We've now been there three times in a row and not lost while Hearts didn't manage to beat us in the SPL at all last season which is a pretty decent record.

"But we were a bit unhappy at the way we played and what made it more disappointing was to see Celtic drop two points against Falkirk, knowing had we won at Tynecastle we'd still be in second place sitting between them and Rangers.

"Dundee United also managed to close the gap on us a bit but I think if anyone had offered us 21 points at this stage before the season started then we'd happily have taken it.

"Everyone was saying after we'd beaten St Mirren and Falkirk in our opening games to wait and see where we were after the first round of fixtures, we are now there and I think everyone has to be pretty happy with what we have achieved.

"The trick now is to keep it going for the rest of the season."