Mathie keen for Hibs kids to broaden horizons

SPORTING director Graeme Mathie has revealed he wants to take Hibs’ best youngsters out of their comfort zone by sending them overseas on loan.

Mathie is a big fan of giving up-and-coming players greater first-team experience further down the leagues.

Striker Jamie Gullan this season at Raith Rovers and defender Ryan Porteous previously at Edinburgh City are two prime examples of fringe players who were farmed out and later returned ready to compete for a first-team place.

The Easter Road outfit finished the curtailed season with eight players out on loan, including stopper Kosovar Sadiki at Finn Harps in the Republic of Ireland.

And Mathie, who stepped up from his role as head of recruitment in January to become Hibs’ first-ever sporting director, has confessed he would love for more of the club’s kids to go abroad in future.

He said: “Loans are great, for so many different reasons.

“I would love for some of our young players to go abroad to experience loans, even just to take them right out of their comfort zone and see how other countries and cultures train, which would be important.

“But [also] to learn how to live on their own, which is a life skill that will be really important for them in later life.

“We sent Kosovar Sadiki to Ireland this season, which has been great for him, to go and play in the League of Ireland.

“But I would love to do that more, whether it’s Scandinavia or Ireland or other countries, Canada potentially.”

Speaking to The Curve Mindset podcast, he added: “[It’s] just to allow them to go and get different experiences, which I think will be really beneficial for their development.”