Lee Johnson will give Hibs players pre season b******* and Harry McKirdy suitors must be blindfolded - Tam McManus

Tony Mowbray sat me down and uttered the dreaded words. “Clean slate Tam, it’s a fresh start, work hard in the pre-season and we’ll take it from there. Blah, blah, blah.”

In his next breath he said: “By the way, who is your agent and can I have his number?” The writing was already on the wall. During that time at Hibs I was on a very good contract and I knew the pressure was on to justify it so I knew the situation.” I have no doubt there are similar conversations taking place at Easter Road at the moment between Lee Johnson and several of his out of favour players.

Elias Melkersen and Christian Doidge to name but two will have been given the ‘second chance’ spiel. At the same time the club will be assessing their options and looking to see if they can be moved on. It’s a brutal reality and what a manager needs to do just to keep players onside in case he can’t punt them before the season starts.

Here’s an astonishing fact but absolutely true. I signed 15 years worth of contracts as a Hibs player before my 24th birthday. Jim Duffy gave me a two-year deal, Alex McLeish a three-year and a five-year deal before Frank Sauzee gave me a five-year deal.

I’m not talking out of school here but at one point I was the highest paid player at the club if you added on my appearance money. Daddy Big Bucks and still only 23-years of age. The Mowbray tale is also one of caution for the boys on the fringes just as I was back then. I started that season in the team, scored in pre-season games against Leeds United and Cardiff City, McManus was a man on fire.

My form was great, super sharp and full of confidence but it would count for nothing once the season started for real. The opening game of the campaign was against Kilmarnock, I