Rankin guaranteed to bring the sunshine back to Leith

FORMER Hibs star Stuart McCaffrey today insisted the Easter Road outfit have landed "an absolute bargain" in the signing of Inverness Caledonian Thistle midfield ace John Rankin.

And McCaffrey predicted Rankin's non-stop style will bring memories of free-scoring Pat McGinlay flooding back among supporters who, he believes, will quickly take him to their hearts.

McCaffrey, a team-mate of 24-year-old Rankin at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, feels Mixu Paatelainen's first signing – one which was quickly followed by the arrival of former Hibs captain Ian Murray – won't take long to justify the £110,000 fee paid.

He said: "I think John is what you would call a Hibs player, he is a really energetic midfield player. He works so hard for the team, I don't think I've ever seen anyone work as hard as him.

"He looks after himself very well, he leads a quiet life and his only vice is he likes a sun bed.

"I'm sure the Hibs fans will take to him with his ability to get up and down the pitch, to get from box-to-box. The way Inverness have been playing in recent weeks with just one player up John has been the one to get up in support but I'd imagine at Hibs he'll probably get a bit more freedom.

"He reminds me very much of Pat McGinlay, a midfield player who is able to get beyond the front because of his pace and energy."

McGinlay, a team-mate of Paatelainen's during the big Finn's first spell at Easter Road as a player, was always reckoned to be worth at least ten goals a season and McCaffrey believes Rankin can be counted on to claim a similar total, a view shared by another of his ex-Caley pals Darren Dods.

McCaffrey said: "John's been good for a few goals with Caley, he's not afraid to have a pop from a good bit out. His delivery from set-pieces is very good and he's not shy when it comes to taking free-kicks or penalties so there's no reason why he can't get into double figures."

Dods concurred, saying: "John isn't as tall as Pat who was great at arriving late into the penalty area to get his head on the ball but he does have that knack of scoring goals."

A trainee with Manchester United, Rankin made more than 100 appearances with Ross County before his £65,000 move to Caley where he clocked up almost 50 matches before Hibs were joined in a race for his signature with SPL rivals Falkirk and St Mirren.

But at 24 McCaffrey believes Rankin's best years lie ahead of him. He said: "Going to Manchester United as a youngster and not making it through to the first team at Old Trafford is hardly a disgrace.

"John learned a lot from his time there. He did well at Ross County and won his move to Caley where he picked up a year-and-a-half's experience.

"To my mind Hibs are getting a really good player and when you consider he can only get better then the money they have paid is an absolute bargain.

"The fact Falkirk and St Mirren were also in the hunt for him shows John was a player in demand but having been at Hibs myself I know the size of the club and I am sure he'll be delighted."

Rankin will find a familiar face at Easter Road in Donald Park, Paatelainen's assistant who filled a similar role at both Ross County and Caley during the midfielder's spells at those clubs and McCaffrey has no doubts he'll relish the chance to work again with one of the most respected coaches in Scotland.

He said: "I think Mixu has been very clever in bringing Donald on board with all his experience and the fact he's at Easter Road would have been another attraction for John, I am sure. If Mixu needed anyone to ask about John then Donald obviously knows everything there is to know, he's worked with him in training, watched him play countless matches but you don't have to be a genius to work out what a good player he is."

Dods also believes Paatelainen has pulled off something of a masterstroke in coaxing Murray back to Hibs for a second spell. He said: "Ian was a big, big hit with the fans before he went to Rangers and I am sure he can be again.

"The great thing is that he can play a number of positions, he played right and left back, in central defence and in midfield during his first time at Hibs and that means Mixu has signed someone who can offer him cover all over the pitch."

Paatelainen said of the signing of Murray: "I obviously knew Ian from my time as a player at Hibs, he broke through during my first spell at the club. He is a very determined player, good in the tackle, someone with a great attitude, someone who works hard in training and is very fit.

"He's the sort of guy who is a pleasure to work with, he's very experienced although he still isn't that old and it will be good to have a player who can play in various positions available to us.

"And, of course, he also knows what it is to be a Hibs player as this is a club very close to his heart."