The Scottish Mail on Sunday

Wrecking Rangers’ unbeaten record is the goal for Hibs midfielder Newell

- By Graeme Croser

AS much as Joe Newell fancies Hibs’ chances of breaking Rangers’ unbeaten league record this afternoon, he wouldn’t advise you to stick a fiver on him scoring the winning goal.

A stand-out midfield performer for Jack Ross’s side this season, Newell has scored just once this season, and twice in three years.

‘I’m close to giving up — the ball just isn’t going in,’ he laments. ‘I’m maybe going to start shutting my eyes, shooting and pray it goes in!

‘Scoring the winner at Ibrox would be right up there. I don’t think I’d even celebrate, I’d be shocked!

‘I know I need to try to add more goals. It will help the team if I can pitch in.’

Thankfully, this is not the primary metric by which the 28-year-old’s game is judged.

Brought to Easter Road by Paul Heckingbot­tom from Rotherham in the summer of 2019, Newell was initially deployed on the left flank before emerging as a thoroughly-effective central midfielder under Jack Ross.

With a new two-year deal just signed, Newell (with Rangers’ Connor Goldson, right) is focused on turning a fine season into something altogether more memorable.

Hibs can guarantee a place in the Europa League play-off round by winning the Scottish

Cup. If they don’t, and the winner of next weekend’s Old Firm tie takes the trophy, then third place in the Premiershi­p table will do the trick.

This is significan­t as Hibs would then be guaranteed European football until Christmas even if they lose that play-off thanks to the safety net given by UEFA’s new third-tier competitio­n, the Europa Conference League. ‘Europe was huge in my decision to re-sign,’ says Newell. ‘Unless Liverpool came in for me, I don’t think I’d have had a chance to play in Europe by moving anywhere else!

‘We’ve had a good season but winning the Scottish Cup would nail it down. It’s an incentive, really.

‘The club hasn’t finished third for 16 years, so it would reflect a good season. Outside the Old Firm, we’re the best team at the minute so we just need to maintain those levels.’

Going into today’s match, Ross’s

team hold a four-point advantage over Aberdeen, a team still awaiting the arrival of new boss Stephen Glass.

And Newell admits there’s a real incentive to go and be the first team to defeat Steven Gerrard’s champions in the league this term.

‘Rangers have had an unbelievab­le season,’ he admits. ‘They’ve been brilliant and thoroughly deserve the title, but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t want to break their unbeaten run.

‘That’s something we all want to do. We’re in good form and I don’t think the fact that the title is wrapped up will really affect them. Their standards are that high.’

Hibs’ last visit to Ibrox was settled by a solitary strike from Ianis Hagi and also featured a controvers­ial moment in which the same player challenged Newell with a high boot inside the home penalty box.

‘I still get abuse on Twitter for diving!’ he laughs. ‘It’s one of those ones where if it was on the halfway line, the referee would give a free-kick. But you might need to get punched on the side of the head to get a penalty...’

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