Shaun Maloney insists Hibs are up for Hearts battle as Easter Road boss warns his team are no pushovers

Shaun Maloney watched his Hibs players confound the expectations of their own fearful fans by battling Hearts to a standstill in his first experience of the Edinburgh derby.

And he’s warned the Jambos that their city rivals – so often derided as “soft” by fans – will be an even more physically ferocious in this afternoon’s battle royale at Tynecastle.

Maloney, who has settled in central Edinburgh and enjoys regular chats with supporters, revealed that many punters had raised the same concern ahead of February’s 0-0 draw at Easter Road.

“Speaking to supporters before the game, they had a real concern about Hearts being physically dominant against us,’ said the former Celtic and Scotland star.

“And I actually felt the opposite was true. We matched them physically – and that was a big thing for our fans.

“And I actually feel we’re physically in a better place than we were then.

“So that was a really big worry for our support going into that match – and it was one of the really big positives to come out of it.

“The fans did (worry about that). I don’t think they do now.”

Renowned for his technical ability as a player and with a coaching CV that includes being part of the backroom staff with Belgium’s spectacularly gifted national team, Maloney stressed the need to combine strength with skill.

“Competing is one of the aspects of the game I love. I just love the competitive side of it.” he said.

“Players can make mistakes in games but the bare minimum they have to do is compete.

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“And that’s what I loved in the last derby performance, even from some of our most technical players.

“Joe Newell was just a monster, physically, in that game. And how we