'We had a team full of them' - Hibs derby hero tells current side how to beat Hearts

The hat-trick hero in one of Hibs’ most notable derby wins, Mixu Paatelainen says that 6-2 triumph in October 2000 stemmed from an unflinching sense of belief and a dressing room full of strong characters.

And, as the capital sides square up again this Saturday, in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden, the former striker and manager has warned the current squad that if they do not believe themselves capable of turning things around after last weekend’s league disappointment, they probably won’t.

“It was a set-back not to qualify for the top six and they’ll have been gutted that it was a derby loss but that’s when strong characters are needed, to prove everybody wrong,” said the Finn, who is currently working as a UEFA technical observer while he waits for the right route back into management.

“Saturday is a day for guys with the proper attitude. It’s exactly the same as when they went to the Scottish Cup final [against Rangers in 2016], not too many people believed Hibs would win it. But they did and that’s fantastic.

“Now we’re talking about the semi-final and of course they can win it, no question. But the cornerstones of the team are needed. It is an old cliché, the bigger the match, the more good players shine and come good, and I’m sure that will be the case this weekend.

“I believe there are some strong characters. When I played, we had a team full of them. We had a fantastic record against Hearts and every player in every position was a strong character. Coming into the derbies we had to believe and we did. I think that players are a big part of that but it is also a manager’s job to instill that. I’m sure Shaun will have the team ready.

“We had big Frank [Sauzee], who was quiet, and Yogi, who certainly wasn’t