Adam Le Fondre told Hearts star to 'f*** off' after greeting text as new Hibs striker gets stuck into derby spirit

Adam Le Fondre insists he’s confident he can catch fire at Hibs five years on from almost reigniting his relationship with “volatile” Neil Lennon at Easter Road, but that a text from a Hearts rival earned a rapid-fire 'f*** off' response.

The veteran goalscorer finally put pen to paper on a deal this month after being convinced to make the move by another former management mentor and current Hibs director of football Brian McDermott. But it was Lenny - who Le Fondre enjoyed banging in the goals for at Bolton during a loan spell in 2015 - that almost got the far-travelled Englishman to pitch up in Leith back in 2018.

Instead he headed to the other side of the world to sign for Sydney FC after talks broke down in the latter stages. But Le Fondre never forgot about that Easter Road opportunity and after ending his five-year association with the A-League club he can’t wait to finally get his first taste of Scottish football.

He said: “I had a great time with Lenny even though I only spent three months with him at Bolton. I loved him. He was volatile! But he was my sort of person, he really got me as a player. He brought some of the best football out of me in a short period of time so I was really eager to work with him.

“So when he came calling we spoke a lot but at that time the financial side couldn’t quite work out. It was close, it was easy for me to talk to Lenny. I liked what he had to say, the way he wanted his teams to play. I knew I would be successful in his teams so that was never an issue for me.

“I have been close to moving to Scotland a few times. And I feel like it was quite a natural progression for me to come here. Brian McDermott told me the plans for the club and the plans for me as a player.

“There might