Hibs icon Pat McGinlay reckons Joe Newell’s swagger is key if the Hibees are to be giving it big licks in Edinburgh on Saturday night. The Easter Road side head to Tynecastle hunting their first victory in enemy territory since Boxing Day 2019.
And former midfield maestro McGinlay reckons their best chance of leaving the Jambos on the canvas in the first derby of the season is to display some positive footballing arrogance and turn on the style. McGinlay is still in the top five Hibs appearance makers in the fixture with 34 derbies under his belt. He shared a pitch with some of the biggest characters the capital clash has known. And he just hopes the big names in the green and white corner come to the fore on Saturday to ensure new boss Nick Montogmery hands the Leith legions bragging rights in his first taste of the occasion.
No more so than Newell who has been one of the club's top performers this season with a series of leading roles in the engine room that has seen him handed the captaincy three times under Montgomery in the absence of Paul Hanlon. McGinlay said: “Hibs are playing well. They have some really good players going forward and big Joe Newell is a joy to watch at times.
“He looks the part, he’s got that silky way he runs, he’s a great passer of the ball and sees things quickly. He has that swagger about him which is so important in the big games.
"You have to have that confidence and belief against Hearts, not to hide but to want the ball and want to make things happen. I love players that had that swagger, you can’t beat it in the big games.
"In my time we had Darren Jackson and Michael O’Neill while I remember playing against Gary Mackay and John Robertson and they certainly had it too. It’s crucial
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