We need to talk about Kevin...

Porteous hails hitman Nisbet and says it’s great top see Hibees hanging on to stars for a change

RYAN PORTEOUS celebrated becoming a Hibs centurion as the Easter Road club stayed top of the Premiership.

Now the diehard Hibee is praying Kevin Nisbet sticks around in Leith long enough to pass the 100-game mark too – and lead the assault on silverware.

Porteous has grown up watching his club being ransacked for their prize assets.

Scott Brown, Steven Fletcher, John McGinn, Steven Whittaker, Kevin Thomson, Gary O’Connor … the list goes on of players who have left for seven-figure fees in the last 15 years.

But the Ron Gordon era promises something different, with Hibs having fought off interest in star men Nisbet, Martin Boyle and Josh Doig in the last eight months.

Rather than cash in, Hibs have dealt in their star men, with Boyle signing on until 2024 just days after a lowball Aberdeen bid was booted into touch a fortnight ago.

Nisbet – on the radar of Celtic and a clutch of English clubs with just two days of the transfer window remaining – is now mulling over improved terms.

And Porteous hopes it’s a sign of things to come that the club looks to protect their assets.

Nisbet showed exactly what he brings to the table when he proved the difference against Livingston in a game that looked to be petering out towards a goalless draw.

The Scotland international, who is halfway to 100 games for Hibs himself, needed just one sniff of goal in the second half as he turned the Livi defence inside out before firing a clinical low shot into the far corner for the crucial opener.

Boyle sealed the points with an exquisite dink in injury time.

And Porteous said: “We have talked about ambition at the club before.

“I’m a Hibs fan and it’s good to see times are changing and we are holding onto our best players.

“Kevin is one of them, he is really important to us.

“Numbers wise, he gets goals and assists and showed today that he can score a goal out of nothing.

“Against a team like Livingston who are digging deep and working hard, the longer the game goes 0-0 the better for them.

“Our crowd might get on our back a bit. But big players arrive in big moments and Nissy is definitely one of them. That’s why he is in the Scotland squad.

“He has had a great start to the season and Martin Boyle’s the same with his goal.

“He has run about daft all day but then to find a finish like that out of nothing is brilliant.

“We are delighted the pair of them are still here.

“The fans have a massive expectation and expect us to be third and fourth every year.

“We are a club that should be looking to do that, but we need backed, we need to keep our best players and Ron Gordon is certainly doing that.

“If Aberdeen and Hearts are spending big money then we need to be keeping a hold of our best players and adding to it.”

Porteous himself was the subject of a £1million bid from Millwall in the last window.

Again Hibs gave that offer short shrift although the Londoners’ boss Gary Rowett admitted he could be tempted to return to the table.

The 22-year-old has two years left on his deal in Leith and insists he hasn’t been offered fresh terms.

And for now he is only focused on Hibs and looking to put silverware in the trophy cabinet and building on his 100 top-team appearances.

He said: “A few people have said not to underestimate the achievement. It’s a big deal for someone to play 100 games especially when I have missed about a year with injuries if you add them up.

“I’m not too sure how many were good games, but I have loved it. It’s something I always wanted to do.

“I was always relaxed with the last window. I was never pushing to go. Things can happen and get into your head but I am happy here and I think it’s the same for Nissy and Boyley.

“It’s a great group, we are all friends and we want success for the club, ourselves and to be back in a position where we are finishing third and competing against the Old Firm and winning trophies.

“By keeping our best players and our heads solely on that goal that’s where we want to be.”

Nisbet’s 50th-minute goal proved crucial after a first half which saw neither keeper really tested on Saturday.

The striker latched onto Paul McGinn’s pass, turned Sean Kelly and fired an unstoppable leftfooted effort beyond Max Stryjek.

Hibs coasted to the three points from there and Boyle’s 90th minute clincher was a thing of beauty.

He took Scott Allan’s pass and brilliantly dinked Stryjek from a tight angle.

The victory keeps Hibs ahead of rivals Hearts on goal difference at the top ahead of a powderkeg derby at Tynecastle after the international break.

And Porteous said: “It’s a game we will both want to come quick because we are in good form.

“It’s not often you’ll see this derby as a top of the table clash, but derbies are always mustwins every time, and we look forward to it.”