TITLE DEED
Winning the league with Hibs can prove to Deila I’m no dud, says Stokes
ANTHONY STOKES i nsists he is determined to prove Ronny Deila wrong by helping Hibs beat Rangers to the Championship title.
The Irish striker says his long-term aim is to force his way back into the first-team plans at Celtic after falling out of favour under the Norwegian.
But Stokes realises he faces a real battle to impress Deila during his loan spell at Easter Road and intends to catch his eye by helping steer Alan Stubbs’ men to promotion.
‘I speak to Ronny Deila on a regular basis and
we have plenty of conversations,’ said the 27-year-old after signing for Hibs until the end of the season. ‘I like him. He’s a good fella. But he obviously doesn’t rate me as a footballer — because if he did I would be in the team. ‘I am not going to focus on anything that’s gone on in the past four or five months. ‘I am coming here with the intention of getting back, enjoying my football, getting as fit as I possibly can and scoring goals. ‘I’m thinking about Celtic. I’m a Celtic player and there is a year option on my contract — and I want to go back there. ‘I want to help Hibs as much as I possibly can and get as close as we can to winning the title. That’s one of the main reasons I came here — because it’s an opportunity to win something. ‘For me, it’s about doing what I can to help Hibs win the league — but I want to go back to Celtic fit, confident and in the best shape I can be. ‘Am I here to stop Rangers winning the league? Well, it would be nicer for us to win it.’ Stokes, who fell out with Deila after complaining on Twitter about not making the squad for a game at Inverness, has not played a first-team match since August 22. But with 18 months left on his contract, he has not given up on persuading him of his worth. ‘You always have to keep that bit of hope,’ said Stokes. ‘I have every intention of going back to Celtic next year and trying to get in the team. It is the club I want to stay at.’ Stokes is likely to feature at home to St Mirren tomorrow, with Hibs boss Stubbs saying: ‘He will be in the squad. I will make a decision before the game whether that’s going to be from the start or from the bench.’ Kevin Thomson is today expected to join Hibs as a player-coach until the end of the season.