HIBERNIAN

STEVEN Whittaker didn’t dare dream he would have 20 years as a professional footballer when, at 15, he was knocked back by Manchester City days after being told he was being taken on. During this trying period the young Whittaker’s efforts to find employment as an electrician also failed.

So there are Whittaker’s sliding doors moments. Would he have been a success at City? Would he have been as good a sparky as he’s been a right-back with Hibernian, Rangers, Norwich City and Scotland? We will never know.

What we do know is that Manchester’s loss was Leith’s gain. Whittaker, now 34, is in his second spell at Easter Road and coming to the end of a fine career in which he has won everything, including 31 caps.

In his second spell at Hibs, he has one more season remaining on his contract and then that might be it. At the club’s Dubai base, Whittaker looks relaxed. So what better time to look back.

“At 15 I wasn’t sure how things were going to go,” said Whittaker. “I wanted to become a footballer and thought I’d be signing for Manchester City. I actually went down to sign with my parents.

“The scout took us down, with Joe Royle, the manager of City at the time. I played in a match, we won 2-0 and I scored, so it wasn’t like I did anything wrong. But the contract just never happened.

“We came back up the road and got a letter a few days later saying ‘we’re not in a position to offer you a

‘‘ My mentality was about being the best I could be

contract’. Verbally they had done, so that was an early disappointment.

“But I wouldn’t change it for the world. That’s football and it’s how you cope with disappointment.

“I was playing for Hibs in the Initiative League on a Sunday after playing for Hutchie Vale on a Saturday.

“I was still at school and had chosen all my Highers and thought to myself ‘what am I going to do now?’”

So, the young Whittaker went looking for a trade. “I went for a job interview to become an electrician,” he recalled. “I can’t remember much about it, but I know I didn’t get the job!

“Then Hibs got in touch and offered me a year’s contract to see how I’d get on. Within three months I’d signed a five-year deal. It was during my second season, at 17, that I made my debut in the first team in the very last game of the season against St Johnstone away.

“I got on for the last 10 or 15 minutes and we won 1-0, Derek Townsley scoring a free-kick. I remember it like it as yesterday.”

Right away he gave his all to becoming a player and was open to anything that would improve his game.

“My mentality when I was younger was about being the best I could be,” he said. “I tried to improve myself at every level possible. When Alex McLeish became the manager he used to bring in a sprint coach to work on our actual running technique.

“I was quite intrigued by this at the time and got to know the guy. So I’d go and see him sometimes twice a week at nights to work with his sprinters, thinking it might make a difference.

“Little things like that can make a big difference. But if you don’t have that mentality then you’d never do it.

“I say to lads now, put the work in. That might be in the gym or out on the pitch, tracking the runner to stop him from scoring.

“I’ll sit and tell them, ‘track the runner in training or press the centre-half and everyone else’s job becomes easier’. And I’ll keep telling them.”

They should listen.