Medals and memorabilia gather dust but memories get better with age
Jack tells Hibs to seize final spot
Jack Ross has urged Hibs to become memory makers when they arrive for Betfred League Cup semi-final action in Mount Florida on Saturday.
The Easter Road boss believes their clash with St Johnstone is a chance to banish the memory of a last-four Scottish Cup Final loss to Hearts in October.
But after a playing career with the likes of Falkirk, Clyde and St Mirren, Ross knows from experience that disappointment can be a driving force.
He said: “I played in a Scottish Cup semi-final and also a League Cup Final.
“As a player, you want as many opportunities to play in these types of games as you can.
“A lot of those games came in the latter part of my career.
“I said to the boys before the Scottish Cup semi-final earlier this season that it’s about putting yourself in these positions as often as possible, taking that extra step and possibly winning things.
“That is the key part, you don’t really appreciate winning things until you stop playing.
“I spoke to Lewis Stevenson last week about reaching 500 appearances.
“It’s only something he’ll really reflect on once he’s not playing.
“I look back at my own career and memories get better with age. So the more good ones you can get, the better. I’ve stressed to my players the importance of cup finals and the need to cherish them.
“Medals and memorabilia gather dust but memories get better with age.”
The pain of that defeat to the Jambos remains fresh for Ross and he admits Hibs fell short on their last visit to Hampden.
He said: “We spoke about being driven by disappointment after the Scottish Cup semi-final defeat. When you get close to the final but you don’t achieve it, then it’s really sore.
“You have choices – you can risk feeling that pain again or take the chance of being successful by not wanting to be in that position again.
“That was the big thing for my players. If it doesn’t go right then it’ll hurt but if it goes right they’ll have renewed memories.
“Nobody wants to be defined by failure but there are defining moments in people’s careers that people may focus on but which are not an accurate reflection on their work within the game.
“Ofir Marciano was talking about Avram Grant when they were at Israel.
“He said Avram would talk about his time at Chelsea and to a degree his time there was defined by the Champions
League Final they lost in 2008. John Terry slipped and missed a penalty in the shoot-out with Manchester United.
“That shouldn’t have been the case as Avram’s work there was much more than that.
“Sometimes there are moments like that but you don’t want to be defined by failure when you have achieved so much more.”
Hibs are now priced up as favourites to lift the trophy with the Old Firm out of the competition but Ross insists it’s too close to call.
He said: “You know how close you are to success and make extra demands on yourself because you do not want that chance to slip by.
“That will apply irrespective of whether you are the favourite or the fourth favourite to win.
“Every single team at this stage will believe they can win it.
“The betting is not something we have paid too much attention to.
“There are teams in good current form and you could argue that should make them favourites.”