Mallan says thanks for the memories as he signs for Turkish club
Stevie Mallan has departed Hibs, signing a two-year deal with Turkish Süper Lig side Yeni Malatyaspor.
The midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan at the New Malatya Stadium, scoring twice and registering one assist in 17 matches including a goal on his debut.
YMS chairman Adil Gevrek was confident of the Scot’s return, all but confirming a deal had been done in an interview with Turkish newspaper Fotospor on Saturday.
Despite returning to Hibs for the start of pre-season and speaking earlier this summer about making an impact at Easter Road during the upcoming season, speculation that the former St Mirren man was set to return to Turkey gathered pace and when the 25-year-old was left out of the Hibs squads for the friendly matches against Arsenal and Raith Rovers, it suggested a deal had been struck between the two clubs.
Signed from Barnsley in the summer of 2018, Mallan impressed during his first season with the capital club, scoring 13 and assisting 11 in 48 games, winning the player of the year award.
But after returning from a lengthy knee injury sustained in December 2019 he found it difficult to nail down a regular starting berth. Mallan still had a year left on his Easter Road contract so Hibs will likely be due a fee from the Turkish club.
Mallan tweeted: “Delighted to be joining Yeni Malatyaspor for the next chapter in my career. Just want to say a big thank you to all the players, staff, and fans at Hibs for the past three years. Had amazing memories and met even better people but now time for a new challenge.”