Agyepong vows to be a City slicker like Barker in Leith...

AFLYING winger on loan from Manchester City. If Thomas Agyepong proves as effective as Brandon Barker, you won’t find many Hibernian fans complaining about the same old same old.

Agyepong consulted with clubmate Barker — a crowd-pleasing wide man at Easter Road last season — before agreeing to his summer move north of the border.

Convinced by what his friend had to say, the Ghanaian international has some fairly obvious aims.

The 21-year-old, who trained with Celtic under Ronny Deila without securing a move, revealed: ‘Brandon did well here and that’s my goal, to achieve something.

‘I am here to do my bit and give my contribution to the team.

‘I think we are similar players, we like to take players on, we like to create chances. We like to score goals and contribute to the outcome of the team.

‘When I heard the club wanted to give me an opportunity to prove myself, I spoke to him (Barker).

‘And he told me I will love it because when he was here he loved it and really enjoyed himself. It’s good for a mate to give you that kind of positive comment.’

Agyepong spent a year with FC Twente and two seasons at NAC Breda, all part of City’s transcontinental approach to youth player development.

He is eager to make his mark at Hibs after his arrival was held up by paperwork and is likely to feature at some stage in today’s Scottish Premiership match of the day, the visit of Aberdeen.

Expanding on the advanced knowledge he had gathered before agreeing to the move, he said: ‘I was actually with Brandon in the Netherlands before and, when he came here, he told me the set-up was great, he played a lot of games and the fans liked him.

‘He told me the coach likes players who are direct and like to take players on. I thought: “Okay, I can enjoy working with him”.

‘I have heard the gaffer here is really demanding, but every manager is like this. When I was in the Netherlands, it was the same.

‘It is not like academy football, where it’s about development. It’s about winning games because their job is on the line. And as players, you always want to achieve something.

‘I watched a few games on the internet when I first heard I might come here to Hibs and, on the back of what my friend Brandon told me, I could see the team played good football.

‘That’s how they got into the Europa League qualifiers and had a good run, as well.

‘So you look at these things and think: “Yeah, that’s a place you want to be.

‘I watched a game where Brandon dribbled past everyone and scored! And I also watched some of the European games earlier this season, as well.

‘When Hibs were in Norway, I watched the game in Manchester and I also saw the Motherwell game, as well, to see the team and how they played.

‘Most of the time, they (the City staff) give you the option to choose where you want to go on loan. But they also look at the type of player you are and where would suit you the most.

‘At the end of the day, you are their player and they want you to develop.

‘So they look at the talent and ability they have and they want to put you in an environment where you can develop yourself.

‘But you also have a say because you need to feel happy about where you go and then you can enjoy your football.

‘It’s great at City, it’s a beautiful place. It’s a multi-million pound club. The facilities are amazing.

‘I couldn’t play any games, I would have loved to, but I got experience training with the first team.

‘When you go up against players like those, you have to up your level and you develop.

‘You make a lot of mistakes because you are young but they are there to help you.

‘Fernandinho was a big brother to me. He used to speak to me all the time.

‘Even now, he still keeps in contact. He texts me and speaks to me and tells me to keep working hard to achieve my dreams.

‘I was at Celtic a couple of years ago and I trained with them.

‘Unfortunately, I didn’t get to play. The idea was to go there and train and see if I could get a loan deal — but I got injured.

‘I don’t know a lot about Scottish football. All I know is the Eredivisie (Dutch top flight) is more technical and slow in terms of the build-up.’

This afternoon’s clash in Edinburgh should provide Agyepong with a crash course in the Scottish game, as two of the best in the country — both shorn of star players from last season, each determined to prove that they haven’t slipped backwards — do battle.

It’s just the kind of fixture that can be decided by a moment of individual brilliance.

On balance, Aberdeen have more candidates to produce such a decisive stroke of genius.

Which is why Neil Lennon went back to his former club in Manchester, looking for the final, familiar ingredient in — he hopes — a winning formula.