HORGAN GRINDER
I’m not here to replace McGinn or McGeouch .. I’ll make my own way
Daryl Horgan has had to shrug off comparisons with Philippe Coutinho and Damien Duff.
Now at Hibs, he’s quick to point out he’s never going to fill the boots of Dylan McGeouch, John McGinn or Scott Allan. He’s his own man. But he’s also aware of the pressure he’s under at Easter Road to provide Neil Lennon’s side with a creative spark.
Horgan arrived from Preston North End with a weight of expectation after the departures of three fan favourites.
He was sensational at Dundalk under boss Stephen Kenny when they got to the group stage of the Europa League.
At that point, he was being tipped to star on the international stage and likened to Brazilian superstar Coutinho and Irish legend Duff.
Horgan has yet to fulfil that potential and he’s honest enough to admit that, in a Hibs shirt, there’s plenty of room for improvement.
He has only shown in flashes what he’s capable of and, frustratingly for his gaffer, hasn’t nailed down a starting place.
But Lennon’s team needs inspiration – and Horgan wants to be the guy to provide it.
But he’ll do it by playing his own game, not by trying to copy someone else’s.
From the club’s winter training base in Dubai last week, the 26-year-old said: “The pressure I feel from the fans isn’t as much as the pressure from myself, the manager or my team-mates.
“I need to constantly be doing the right things well. If it doesn’t happen, I’m not happy.
“I’ve been up and down at Hibs and know I need to be more consistent. It will be tough but that’s my job. “There have been some good things from me but maybe I need to get a grip of this league a bit more. “I haven’t thought about trying to replace the guys who left here. I’ll go out and do my own thing, play my own game. I ’ m not McGinn or McGeouch. I play the game the way I like to play it and helping the team is my main aim.
“I’m not trying to replace people. I’m not the same player as those guys.
“If I can bring something else, something different, fantastic – but I can’t jump into someone’s else’s shoes.”
Horgan excelled under Kenny who is the future Republic of Ireland boss after taking on the Under-21 job.
He rates the former Dunfermline boss as the biggest influence on his career.
But the two managers he has to impress now are Lennon and Mick McCarthy, the current Irish boss.
Both are renowned as no-nonsense characters who aren’t afraid to speak their mind.
Horgan doesn’t mind that and has ambitions not only to succeed with his club but also to get back into the national team and add to his six caps.
He said: “Lennon is attack-minded and wants us on the ball and on the front foot. All managers are different but you have to learn from them. “Lennon’s been there,
done it and bought the T-shirt a few times. I’ve no issue with him giving it to me when I’ve not done well. It’s part of the game.
“And if you haven’t done a job on the pitch, he’ll tell you.
“You have to accept it, analyse your performance, deal with it and go again.
“I’d rather he tells me what he thinks and how I can improve.
“My priority is to cement a place in the team. But when I came here I made no secret of the fact international football was hugely important to me. I love representing Ireland.
“But it will boil down to how I’m playing for my club.
“Mick is another manager who has achieved great things.
“Ipswich have fallen away since he left. They were baying for his blood – but I bet they’d take him back now.”
Af ter a week of warm weather training in Dubai, Horgan and Hibs must hit the ground running in the Premiership and Scottish Cup.
He said: “We’ve not written anything off yet. The aim is to get into the top six then go for top four.
“We want to be in Europe and have 12 games before the spl it to give ourselves a chance. That’s our target.”