Central role holds key for Whittaker
Steven Whittaker turns 36 in June and is the first to admit age is beginning to catch up with him on the pitch. the Hibernian player’s ability to read the game is more refined, but he concedes his legs are unwilling to carry him on lungbusting runs down the flank.
Whittaker has carved out a long and distinguished career, which has seen him win nine major domestic trophies and amass Scotland 31 caps, mainly utilised at right-back.
now in his second spell at the Leith side, Whittaker feels more comfortable being deployed in the centre of the park, having started four of Hibs’ last seven matches in that position.
Indeed, the edinburgh-born player accepts that his longevity in the game will be dependent on continuing to be deployed as a holding midfielder.
‘I don’t really see myself as a right-back at the stage of my career I’m at. I really need to play a more central role these days,’ said Whittaker, who will be hoping to play against Ross County this evening.
‘I played right-back at the start of the season when the previous manager (Paul Heckingbottom) was in charge. that was mainly through injuries to David Gray and tom James.
‘I think centre mid is where I need to play going forward. You get a little bit more protection in the central areas of the park.
‘that suits me in the stage I’m at of my career.
‘It’s having the ability to read the game from the central areas. You can be a little bit quicker in the mind rather than the body.
‘We do high distances in there but not so much high speed running, which you would do in the wider areas.
‘You’re not as powerful or as quick off the mark as what you were ten years ago.’
Whittaker’s contract expires at the end of the season and retirement is not in his thoughts, even if he does have one eye on transitioning into coaching.
He added: ‘My body is feeling okay. It maybe takes you a day or so to recover but I still feel like I’m in good enough shape to do a job for someone.
‘My contract is up this summer but there have been no talks yet. I’d like to be here, definitely — I still feel like I’m in good enough shape to keep going.
‘Look at Kenny Miller, who has just retired — he is 40. David Weir, who I played with at Rangers, played until he was 40. Age is but a number.
‘the body will tell you when it is time to call it a day.’
Whittaker only made five league appearances during the first half of the campaign and was even utilised as the eyes in the stand by former head coach Heckingbottom and current incumbent Jack Ross.
the ex-norwich City player was tasked with trying to identify any tactical patterns from his high vantage point before relaying that information to the dugout.
It was a role he enjoyed, even if his priority was to be out on the pitch.
He added: ‘Instead of just sitting watching the game for what it is, you think a little bit more about it and the roles the boys are taking up.
‘It all helps, tactics, formations — all these kind of things — it gives you a bigger picture. It wasn’t as though I was watching, thinking: “I’m not going to play”. I still had that belief that given the opportunity I could go on and do the job and I’ve managed to do that.
‘Do I see myself becoming a manager? Possibly, I think it’s something I’ll grow into.
‘I would like to do a bit of coaching and get comfortable on that side of it. As a manager you need that first and foremost, so I’d like more experience through that.’
Meanwhile, Ross County co-manager Stuart Kettlewell has urged his players to use last week’s win over Livingston as a launchpad to climb clear of relegation danger.
the Staggies’ 2-0 home win over the Lions last Wednesday ended a run of seven league games without a win and that success moved them seven points above bottom club Hearts.
He said: ‘We think the Livingston game is a foundation to go and try to put a run together, but we’re a wee bit wary of this talking about what we’re going to do, rather than acting it out.
‘We’re not going to dress up what we’re aiming to do.
‘We just want to go and play games of football and put points on the board. We saw a group of men out there against Livingston.
‘We matched them physically and matched them with our energy. We had the better quality on the day to go and win the game.
‘Myself and Steven Ferguson are not being pessimistic in any shape or form. You take all the criticism when you’re losing games — and rightfully so. everyone wants to see their team winning games.
‘But it is so important the players realise the Livingston win was one game of football. We tasked them with winning it and it is about how we build on that.’