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The video nasty that can help Allan get career back on track
IN order for the best to be teased out of Scott Allan, a glance at a snapshot of the worst was deemed an appropriate starting point by Hibernian boss Paul Heckingbottom. Cue footage of one of only four starts Allan made for Rotherham United in August 2016 — a 4-0 away defeat to Barnsley in the English Championship.
Well, that’s what Heckingbottom — manager of the home side that afternoon — did when meeting the playmaker recently to confirm that he was looking forward to working with the 27-year-old in Leith.
Afternoons such as those prompted Allan’s long-time cheerleader, former Easter Road boss and the man who handed him a break in England, Alan Stubbs, to question his attitude and commitment.
A few weeks later, Stubbs was sacked by Rotherham. Allan played a further 27 minutes for the club in seven months before being packed off back to Celtic.
The 90 minutes at Oakwell three years ago were a horror show for Allan but just one of the spectacular days enjoyed by a vibrant Barnsley team under the guidance of Heckingbottom.
The Hibs manager rolled the tape for the player’s benefit. Now he is hoping the free signing from Celtic fancies the idea of fitting in as a creative and hard-grafting focal point of his team.
‘I’ve shown him a few of those clips,’ grinned Heckingbottom. ‘Every manager’s different. I’ll be asking him to do different things from before.
‘He’ll have to knuckle down. You can’t have anybody not contributing without the ball. Scott knows that. But he can do it. I’m looking forward to getting that side out of him.
‘I’ve already spoken to him about what I’ve seen in his game that I didn’t expect. I’ll be pushing him on that and, if we can get it, that will be a real benefit for the team.
I’m looking forward to getting him on the pitch and really pushing him. But the one thing none of us can do is give him his ability on the ball.
‘He’s a creative spark, without a doubt. He’s really comfortable, wants to have the ball, accepts it in good areas. So we need to get the most out of that.’
Approaching his peak years and with too many lost seasons behind him, Allan should not need a whip to be cracked anywhere close to him.
The east coast air is the elixir coaxing all his undeniable talent out on a consistent basis. So it was when starring for Stubbs in season 2014/15, albeit in a promotion attempt from the Championship which drew up short in the play-offs against Rangers.
In the second half of the 2017/18 campaign, Neil Lennon made the
best use of Allan, with John McGinn and Dylan McGeouch’s energy around him, as Hibs surged through the top flight to a Europa League qualifying place.
Heckingbottom noted: ‘It’s his third spell and he’d say now: “Why have I left twice?” It seems to be his home, where he plays well, and he enjoys it.
‘Everyone enjoys having him here. Hopefully, we can take him on again to be even better.’ Loan players rejoining Hibernian failed to recapture their spectacular first impressions when Flo Kamberi and Jamie Maclaren were brought back for last season. Yet Heckingbottom wants not only ex-Celtic fringe man Allan to return to the form of his spell under Lennon, but Stephane Omeonga and Marc McNulty to be granted routes out of Genoa and Reading. The Yorkshireman ‘needs a couple more’ to be content with his squad. If he concludes a deal for Preston goalkeeper Chris Maxwell, he will have six new signings in place.
With Ryan Porteous a month away from a comeback, one of those new boys, Adam Jackson, comes into prime contention for starting at centre-back.
The excellence of Liam Lindsay and Ethan Pinnock deprived the 25-year-old of a prominent role in Barnsley’s automatic promotion from League One last season.
Previously, the former Middlesbrough trainee was a favourite of Heckingbottom, who described him as a ‘solid’ addition for his Easter Road back four.
‘He was arguably the best centre-back for me for a period before he got injured and others stepped up,’ said Heckingbottom.
‘But that’s the way the game can go for you. He’s one who the lads will come to respect. He’s a good footballer.’
A lot of good football is not what is traditionally associated with the heated Edinburgh derby fixtures but a head-spinning visit to see Hibs draw with Hearts in April sold Jackson on the move north.
‘It was brilliant, really quick and an entertaining end-to-end game,’ said Jackson, who played for England at the Under-17 World Cup finals with Raheem Sterling in 2011.
‘Big tackles going in and the crowd were up for it. Unreal... the atmosphere and stadium. You had to be impressed.
‘I liked that. I would like to think I’m more of a defender than anything else. If it needs to be kicked out, I’ll do it.’