No fairytale ending for Laidlaw
THE path from Borough Briggs to Brondby is not a well worn one.
After lying in a hospital bed with a lacerated kidney and his career in the balance, Hibernian goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw can look back on that journey with pride.
The 24-year-old was a shock selection by Neil Lennon for Thursday’s Europa League encounter against the Danish giants, replacing Otso Virtanen, whose error in the first leg would ultimately cost Hibs the tie.
It was Laidlaw’s first appearance since joining the club from Raith Rovers in the summer, and his first competitive outing since April 2015, when he represented Elgin, on loan, in a 5-4 defeat against Annan. play until the end of last season. Of course there was a feeling that, with the severity of the injury, I might never get back to play football.
“I got an elbow in the stomach in training – just innocuous – and it turned out I had a torn kidney.”
Given Copenhagen was the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, a fairytale ending – perhaps Laidlaw saving the decisive penalty to send the Hibees through – would have been appropriate.
Nevertheless, the magnitude of Laidlaw’s comeback should not be underestimated.
“We’re disappointed,” Laidlaw added. “We were the better team over the two legs.”