HIBS kid Kevin McCann today revealed how he plumbed the depths of despair as he found himself sidelined for the first time since making the breakthrough at Easter Road.
But, as he struggled to cope as match after match passed with no sign of a return to action, the 20-year-old found himself overwhelmed by the support of team-mates and backroom staff. And even former boss John Collins, pictured, who made McCann a f
irst-team regular before his shock departure, had a word of advice for the youngster as he fought to re-establish himself in manager Mixu Paatelainen's plans.
Thirteen long matches passed before McCann was given that opportunity, the right-back looking as if he had never been away as Hibs wrestled another precious point with a no-scoring draw against Rangers to keep their UEFA Cup hopes very much alive.
Today McCann declared himself delighted to be back, insisting the experience he has gone through has made him a much tougher character.
McCann's period of purgatory followed what he admits was as below-par performance against Dundee United at Tannadice in early February, the Scotland under-21 star replaced by Thierry Gathuessi as Hibs fought back to claim a draw.
He said: "I didn't play well, I'd be the first to hold my hands up and say so. I was more disappointed in myself than anyone but, as things went on, I got really down a few times.
"It's been hard but a lot of people helped me through it, people I will remember and thank. My family and girlfriend helped but so did a few of the boys. I had a few chats with Chris Hogg, who had been in the same position in the past.
"Andy McNeil was another, he's been in a similar situation and had to wait for his chance but he's grabbed it and been different class. Tom and Joyce (McCourt], the couple who look after our kit also keep you smiling, they realise when you are down and not yourself and bring you back up.
"I phoned John Collins and had a wee chat with him. The advice was to keep believing. I obviously spoke to the gaffer a few times and the message from him was to keep working hard and to wait my chance while Donald Park (Paatelainen's assistant] also encouraged me to keep going.
"It was nice to know there were so many people who cared so much and were willing to help me through the experience, making me realise that, if I worked hard, it would happen again."
Tough as it might have been, McCann admitted he had spent much of his enforced absence mulling over his situation, the upshot being he feels far better equipped to cope with the vagaries of the game.
He said: "I'm feeling stronger within myself, it's good to know I can stand on my own two feet. There will be times in your career when you are down but it is how you bounce back.
"That's what I have tried to do. You never know what is going to happen in football so you have to be ready should you be thrown in. Hopefully I did enough against Rangers to show the manager I am good enough to be playing each week."
Although Gathuessi, Guillaume Beuzelin and Colin Nish were suspended, while Hogg and Merouane Zemmama were out injured, McCann refused to get his hopes up too much before the visit of Rangers for fear of having them dashed again.
He said: "You read things into training during the week, I'd done that in the past and been really disappointed when Saturday came so I didn't do it last week.
"I didn't know I'd be playing until the day of the game so I was delighted. It was a massive match but it was a good one to go into to show I can hack it against the big boys, against a team which will be playing in the final of the UEFA Cup next week
"Hopefully I've shown I can play at that level."
And McCann revealed how watching former team-mate Kevin Thomson in action for Rangers had simply reinforced his own desire. He said: "Kevin had a really bad knee injury a few years ago and he's come back.
"That's what you have to do in football, you have to keep striving to be better. There's no point settling for what you have and the time I have had over recent weeks let me think about pushing harder than ever."
While delighted with his own comeback, McCann professed to having great sympathy for his pal Lewis Stevenson, who has found himself in exactly the same situation, last season's CIS Insurance Cup final player of the match having featured only twice as a substitute since Paatelainen became manager.
McCann, however, feels that, like himself, Stevenson has fallen victim to the strength in depth of Paatelainen's squad, pointing out that, despite half a team being missing against Rangers, the Hibs boss was still able to name a bench featuring Yves Ma-Kalambay, Brian Kerr, Clayton Donaldson, Alan O'Brien, Abdessalam Benjelloun and Abdel Zarabi, as well as his young team-mate. He said: "Lewis and I have been sharing a room while away with Scotland and, of course, we have talked about the situation we have found ourselves in.
"We all know how good a player Lewis is but, as in the case of myself and Andy, he just has to keep his head down and work hard – which he is doing.
"It's frustrating when you hear people telling you to bide your time but you do have to be ready when the chance comes your way. We do have a strong squad and we also have players who can play in a number of positions so competition is tough."
Now McCann has his fingers crossed he'll play in Hibs' final two matches of the season, away to Celtic this weekend and the visit of Motherwell on the last day, games which will prove crucial to hopes of UEFA Cup football.
He said: "It's not beyond us at all. With the squad we have we are good enough to go and beat Celtic and Motherwell. Other things may happen in games over which we have no control but all we can do is focus on taking care of ourselves."
The full article contains 1079 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
