Scots’ style impressive, says Oxley
HE may feel differently if today’s Edinburgh derby goes along traditionally scrappy lines, but Hibs goalkeeper Mark Oxley admits he has been taken aback by the quality of football he has seen since moving north.
A switch from Premier League Hull City to the second tier of the Scottish game might not be everyone’s idea of a step up but, after loan spells in England’s lower reaches, the 23-year-old is enjoying his new environment.
Unlucky to lose in the Petrofac Training Cup tie with Rangers at Ibrox, Alan Stubbs’ team then faced Livingston in the Championship opener last weekend, with Oxley scoring a bizarre goal to secure instant cult status with the club’s fans.
‘I’ve been surprised by the quality here,’ he said. ‘In Leagues One and Two in England there are a lot of teams who play long-ball football. So far, I’ve not seen too much of that here, it’s just me when I’m trying to score a goal — I’m bringing the long-ball game to Scotland!’
While the keeper’s drop-kick may have been the headline moment of the season so far, he wants to forge a reputation for stopping goals rather than scoring them.
‘I’ll take as much joy out of making a great save against Hearts as I did scoring my goal,’ he said.
‘I don’t want to only be remembered as the Hibs keeper who scored a goal!’
Hearts’ opening-day win at Ibrox served notice of their promotion credentials and now Oxley wants Hibs to put down a marker of their own. He added: ‘What’s important is we take another step towards what we want to achieve.’