KEV & RYAN GAVE ME A HEALTHY DOZE OF ADVICE
Josh was fast asleep on deadline day after pals put his mind at rest over transfer speculation
IN-DEMAND Hibs kid Josh Doig was so laid back about frenzied speculation about his future this week that he went to bed on transfer deadline day at 9pm.
But he’s determined to use advice handed down to him by Kevin Nisbet and Ryan Porteous – two previous Hibees stars who were linked with big-money moves south – to knuckle down and get on with his football now after admitting the initial transfer interest messed with his head.
The 19-year-old left-back has had to deal with a summer of transfer talk after his outstanding breakthrough season last season where he was named SFWA Young Player of the Year.
West Ham, Watford and Burnley were all linked with a move for him and the speculation got so bad that Easter Road boss Jack Ross even took him out of the team to keep him out of the spotlight.
The same thing happened to Scotland striker Nisbet and Porteous during last winter’s window and the duo sat out a few games after moves to Birmingham and Millwall collapsed.
Doig is now back in the side and this week’s deadline passed without any further bids as he sought out the more experienced Easter Road duo for advice after spending this week relaxed about his future before joining up with Scot Gemmill’s Under-21s.
He said: “Kevin and Ryan said it happened to them, all the speculation. But they said the last thing you want it to do is to affect your football.
“At the end of the day that is what gets you moves and that’s what gets you in the team. The football matters.
“I’m happy at Hibs. There was a lot of talk and it was playing on my mind a wee bit.
“But being away with Scotland here at the end of the transfer window took me away from it. Being here focusing on training and being with the boys totally helped me.
“I was in my bed at 9pm sleeping on deadline day so I wasn’t aware of whatever was happening anyway!
“I knew there would always be talk but there’s talk about any young player who has come through.
“The gaffer at Hibs was smart taking me out.
“It gave me time to reflect and get focused on football again. The next week we were back at Ross County and I played well. Ever since then I just realised I need to focus on football.”
Doig will make his full Under-21s debut on Tuesday in Bursa when Gemmill’s side kick off a tough-looking group with an away game against Turkey – which will be made even tougher because 10 English-based players had to withdraw because of Covid restrictions.
But Doig, who was made captain in a bounce game friendly in Wrexham on Thursday when Scotland went down 2-1 to Wales, is all geared up for the experience.
He said: “I’ve never really been captain at any level so to see the armband sitting in my section of the dressing room, I thought there was maybe a mistake.
“But the amount of pride I had was unbelievable. To captain your country at any level is a huge honour. I’ve not heard who’ll be captain next week. But I am just looking t o play.”