Emiliano Marcondes has Hibs hunger as taste of Rangers action whets his appetite after agent's 'cold pasta' comparison

Emiliano Marcondes feels like an unwanted bowl of cold pasta.

But the Dane believes the heat of Hibs can bring him back to the boil and make him dish of the day again. Loan capture Marcondes made his debut as a sub in the midweek defeat to Rangers. It was the 28-year-old’s first top-team action of the season having been out injured at Bournemouth.

Marcondes admits he’s not yet warmed up, but can soon be cooking with gas. The attacker likes a tortellini, but explained: “My agent actually said that as a footballer, when you haven’t played for a long period, you are like a cold pasta dish. No-one wants you and you are not very interesting to eat when you haven’t been playing and have been injured. When you are in that situation you have to put yourself in the oven and warm yourself up. That’s how I feel right now.

“I have to put myself in the oven and make myself edible again and make sure I’m wanted again. That is the picture I like to put in my head. I want to make sure I am a nice pasta dish that people want again.”

Boss Nick Montgomery will be hoping the penne drops quickly as Hibs hunt results. Marcondes had to do hard yards on his road to recovery and explained: “It has been difficult.

“It is a weird moment for a football player when you are injured and coming back and the transfer window is open. It is not often that we, as footballers, really talk about it. But it is a situation when you doubt your future.

“I have half a year left at Bournemouth. But for me, it was important to have focus in every training session, and to make sure I was 100 per cent fit first and not think too much about the future and my situation.

“That is easier said than done. I have had a great team around me at Bournemouth to help get me back