Ross won’t Lewis focus now Doig’s in his side
JACK ROSS has insisted Lewis Stevenson is still a big part of his plans at Hibs despite the emergence of wonderkid Josh Doig.
Doig, 18, appears to have nailed down the left-back spot, leaving Stevenson out of the picture, but Hibees boss Ross insists it is far too early to write off the experienced defender.
He said: “By his own admission, Lewy was a bit up and down in pre-season but he’s still a big part of what we’re doing here.
“He’ll play a big part this season and be a massive help for Josh as well.
“He’s won both domestic cup competitions with the club and he achieved promotions. To bang out the number of games that Lewy has – he’s not that far off 500 games – is just remarkable. He’s been here so long that I played against him a lot before I retired!
“He’s a brilliant help for me off the pitch with Josh but I don’t want to take away the contribution he can still make on the pitch.”
Doig’s promise was further underlined in midweek as he played the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 win over Dundee United.
Ross said: “Josh played the first half as a full-back and the second half as a wing-back. He’s growing in each game.
“He is still very young and it’s different playing in the intensity of these fixtures. The fact he lasted the full game against United is brilliant because he’ll grow that belief.”
Stevenson has been joined on the bench this season by club stalwarts like David Gray and Darren McGregor but Ross insisted: “Their influence is brilliant. They still have a big influence in the dressing room, at training, and on match day.”