GUILLAUME BEUZELIN admitted tonight's match against Motherwell is almost certain to be his last for Hibs – but insisted he had yet to decide on his future.
English Coca Cola Championship outfit Coventry City have emerged as red-hot favourites to sign the influential French ace and Beuzelin revealed he has met Sky Blues' boss Chris Coleman.
But, while adamant no deal has been struck with the Midlands
club, the midfield star disclosed he could have headed south in January had Hibs not blocked a move from former manager Tony Mowbray to take him to West Bromich Albion.
Mowbray, who snapped Beuzelin up on a free transfer from Le Havre four years ago, had been keen to take the 29-year-old to the Hawthorns to help the Baggies push for promotion to the PremierLeague, a target they did eventually meet.
Today Beuzelin said: "Are there regrets? Of course. West Brom got to the semi-final of the FA Cup and were promoted. But that's football. It wasn't in my hands. I had a contract I had to respect if the manager does not want you to go.
"I understand that, I was disappointed, but I understood." Although guarded as to what the future may hold, Beuzelin admitted the prospect of a fresh challenge in what he described as "the most exciting championship in the world," having become bored with the familiarity of the SPL set-up.
He said: "When I first arrived it was all brand new to me. It was exciting but when you have to play against the same teams so many times, coming up against the same players so often in a season it becomes boring.
"Last season we played Aberdeen six times, three of those games taking place in a fortnight because of the Scottish Cup tie and a replay, and it was the same scenario this year with six matches against Rangers.
"I've started to feel suffocated, because of the familiarity between players and teams the opposition begin to try to stifle you, to stop you playing.
"Then there's Celtic and Rangers invariably finishing first and second, leaving everyone else to fight it out for third as happened again this year.
"Look at how many points there are between the Old Firm and the rest every year, it's ridiculous."
While again stressing he's yet to determine where he will be playing next season, Beuzelin hinted it will be south of the Border as, in stark contrast to his disenchantment with the Scottish game, he eulogised over the Coca Cola Championship.
He said: "For me it is the most exciting championship in the world. Just look what happened this season with the leaders changing virtually every week, a League in which one win or defeat can see you soar up the table or drop five places.
"If I were to go there I would be new to me, a fresh challenge and I'd have to prove myself all over again just like I did when I came here."
And with that Beuzelin revealed he could have been a Coventry City player had it not been for the sacking of the then Sky Blues boss Eric Black, now right-hand man to Steve Bruce at Wigan Athletic, who Hibs will meet in a pre-season friendly at Easter Road.
He said: "My agent knew Eric Black and I went to Coventry but then the manager left. My agent then said there was the opportunity of a few tests in Scotland and Hibs was the first of them."
Any other clubs who had expressed an interest at that point were quickly disappointed as Mowbray required just five minutes to decide the classy midfielder could play a part in the revolution he had planned for Hibs, a game of "free-flowing football with a cutting edge".
If many doubted Mowbray could turn that vision into reality in the SPL, they were quickly disabused of any such notion as Hibs turned on a style which won them an army of fans the length and breadth of the country – and third place in the table.
Beuzelin's worth to the team was quickly recognised as his initial two-year contract was doubled. He said: "I've had four great years, unbelievable, the best of my life.
"I've enjoyed a great relationship with the fans. The first year in particular holds many happy memories.
"We surprised everyone as a new team with a new manager by finishing third – but we deserved to do so. We were all pulling in the same direction, there was a terrific spirit and we were a very good team.
"We qualified for the UEFA Cup and, although we didn't go through against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, it was a great experience and for me it was a great honour to captain the team for the first time in the first leg."
The following season saw Beuzelin rupture his cruciate ligament at Rugby Park in early January, an injury which put him out of the game for ten months, a period, not surprisingly, he describes as the lowest point of his time with Hibs.
"Over the years he has not only seen Mowbray and then John Collins depart to be replaced by current boss Mixu Paatelainen but a host of former team-mates with only Dean Shiels and Steven Fletcher remaining of those around when he first arrived. He said: "It shows what a good side we had when you see where those players are now.
"I've also seen two managers leave but that's football, it was the same at Le Havre.
"John Collins arrived just as I was coming back from my injury and we went on to win the CIS Insurance Cup later that season, a day which none of us will forget given the scenes which greeted us in the streets of Edinburgh and again at Easter Road. The disappointment was not winning the Scottish Cup that year.
"We felt we had a good chance of doing so, we all know how important it is for the club and the fans, so it was sad we couldn't do it."
Beuzelin admitted what promises to be his last season in a green and white shirt has pretty much mirrored that of the team, one full of ups and downs.
He said: "We started well, fell away badly and then John Collins took us all by surprise by leaving so abruptly.
"November, December and January were horrendous, we lost so many stupid points. When you think about that we could have finished third quite easily.
"On the other hand, since Mixu Paatelainen has arrived result have come back up again and we came within touching distance of making it."
Ironically, Beuzelin – and Hibs – season will come to an end facing the team they had hoped to overhaul for that coveted UEFA Cup place with the Frenchman, for one, insisting tonight's clash with Motherwell will mean so much to him.
He said: "I imagine it will be a very emotional evening for me. Perhaps neither team has much to play for but we want to finish with a victory at home out of respect to the fans.
"It might be my last game for Hibs so I am determined, on a personal level, to produce a performance which results in a win."
The full article contains 1231 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
