MALLAN’S FIELD OF DREAMS
He’s been compared by his club boss to the mercurial Moravcik but Hibs star reveals his game was honed in modest surroundings
STEVIE MALLAN was hailed as the new Lubo Moravcik this week by Hibernian manager Neil Lennon and the 22-year-old has revealed how he learned his set-piece craft in the unlikely, modest surroundings of Beechwood Park — home of Junior giants Auchinleck Talbot.
The Easter Road midfielder has netted nine goals this season and all of them have been from outside the box. His strike rate prompted Lennon to make comparisons between Mallan and Slovakian playmaker Moravcik, who was famed for his set-piece deliveries and the sweet way he struck a ball.
Mallan comes from a proud footballing stock with his dad Stevie senior a stalwart for the likes of Queen of the South, Clyde and Arbroath before moving to the Juniors. And his son has revealed how he used to steal the show when he was just a kid.
The Hibs star explained: ‘From the age of around seven through to about 14, I would go and watch all of my dad’s games. My boys club games were on a Sunday, so I’d go with him on a Saturday.
‘He was with Glenafton and then Auchinleck Talbot and I used to take part in the warm-up. I would get the chance to do some shooting and warm up the goalies. It helped them and for me it was a way to practise.
‘The Talbot manager Tommy Sloan used to give me balls and send me away to work the keepers and I would hit shots from the edge of the box and hit free-kicks. All of the Talbot boys would stand and watch and a lot of the locals knew who I was by watching what I was doing on the park. So it was back then that I started making a name for myself.
‘They’d watch me at the side of the park and they hoped I would go on and do well, so I’m glad I’ve lived up to that reputation and started to do what they all hoped I would.
‘I can trace all that I’ve achieved back to those days hitting shots as a kid, 100 per cent. I have a lot of fond memories from that time.
‘I loved getting the ball out before the Juniors games and it was just down to my dad’s career. Our careers have gone differently but we share a love for the game.
‘It was always about football for me, I didn’t see myself doing anything else. Every weekend revolved around football. It was either watching my dad or my own game. There was no way I didn’t see myself making it. I didn’t see it as practice, to me it was just fun. What has made me successful at what I do with free-kicks is that I actually enjoy practising them. There are aspects to the game such as the fitness side which are hard work, things like running I never enjoyed but you’d be a bit weird if you did.
‘Having time with the ball and just playing are what I love. I have never once regarded that as training.’
Mallan, who is set to feature for Scotland Under-21s against England at Tynecastle on Tuesday, admits he was thrilled to hear Lennon talk him up. But rather than Moravcik, Mallan’s idol was another player who was famed for his technique.
He said: ‘When I was growing up, I watched Paul Scholes more than David Beckham as he was more my height. I loved his goals and shooting ability. Scholes was my hero.
‘Everyone has their own technique, some go for power and hitting a ball was something I kept working on.
‘I’ve shown some of the boys what I do and they haven’t been able to do it. It’s all down to practice but other boys have other aspects to their game which is strong.
‘Being compared to Lubo is far better than being slaughtered. I can’t complain with that, so I’ll take the compliment from the manager.
‘The gaffer has played with a lot of top players, so to be compared with someone like that is phenomenal. It just shows that I’m doing not too badly just now and he’s liking what I’m doing, that’s the main thing.
‘It’s about what I can bring to the table for the team. It’s now about trying to keep it going, especially in the big games we have coming up.
‘The manager has been telling me to shoot a lot more, especially last Saturday. I could have taken on a shot and I could hear the gaffer on
the sidelines going mental for not doing it. I thought a pass was on and he was roaring at me to shoot. ‘It shows you what he sees in me and I want to improve and do it against Celtic, Rangers and Hearts. That’s when you see how we are a team and how we are in the league.’ Hibs are away to Celtic and Hearts in their next two games which will produce a real test of their title credentials. And former St Mirren and Barnsley star Mallan can’t wait. He pointed out: ‘If we want to do well and dominate in the league, then we need to beat the big teams. From what we’ve done and the team we have, I don’t see why we can’t do the business.
‘Hibs have a good record against Celtic, Hearts and Rangers going back to last season. It’s an exciting time to be at Hibs. I’ve confidence in what I’m doing at club level and for Scotland’s Under-21 side, I’ve come on tenfold since the start of the season.’