Club
Hibernian
Born
5/1/88
Position
Left-back/midfield
Nickname
Bebo. After a team holiday in La Manga a few of the lads started calling me it because they claimed I was always looking on the website. It seems to have stuck.
Club supported as a boy
Raith Rovers. Growing up in Kirkcaldy they were my local team. I went with my mates; it was always cheap to get in.
Strengths
My left foot is pretty strong; I’m also quite versatile, with good speed and stamina.
Weaknesses
I need to improve my right foot and also my shooting. I’ve still not scored for the first team.
I play a bit like...
When I was young I tried to play like Barry Ferguson, with my head up all the time. Now I’d like to think I play my own way.
Highlights
Winning the CIS Cup was a great moment; being voted Man of the Match in the final made it even better. The previous week I’d been hooked off at half-time so just to play was special.
Lowlights
Parading the cup at Easter Road a couple of weeks later. We’d just been beaten by Hearts and were in no mood to celebrate, neither were our fans. To make matters worse the Hearts fans stayed behind to jeer us!
Toughest opponent
Shunsuke Nakamura is a great player; his touch and movement make him stand out. Barry Robson at Dundee United is another who springs to mind. He’s aggressive, strong, has a great left foot and fully deserves his Scotland call-up.
Best player played with
David Murphy. He played in the Premiership when he was 17 and could easily play there again. His strength and touch are huge attributes.
Biggest influence
I suppose it would be the boys in my street. When I was younger I looked up to the older ones and thought it would be great to play like them. Don’t think any of them are footballers now, however!
Best advice given
Some of the guys told me to expect this question and I couldn’t think of anything to answer – I don’t think my parents or coaches would love that! Maybe “you’re only as good as your last game” as after the cup final I didn’t play very well in the couple of matches that followed.
Biggest practical joker
Guillaume Beuzelin. ‘Boozy’, with his new Valderrama hairstyle, is our club joker. He speaks perfect English but as soon as he gets in any trouble he pretends he can’t!
Latest car
Scotrail Trains and Lothian Buses! I’ve crashed my mum’s last two cars so I better get one for her before I think of myself.
Flicks
I’ve just seen Transformers, which was OK but certainly not up to the standard of the cartoons I used to watch at my cousins’ – and it didn’t have Hotrod in it who was my favourite as a kid.
Chicks
Jessica Alba. Better mention my girlfriend too.
TV programmes
I’ve found myself watching Big Brother. I promise I don’t go out of my way to watch it though.
If I hadn’t been a footballer...
I think I did well enough at school to go to university and would have loved the lifestyle – if not the work! A few of my mates have done apprenticeships and I suppose I may have done that too.
Tell us something we don’t know
I was a big fan of The View even before they became famous. I met them after a gig a while back and got loads of photos taken with them on my phone. I’m not sure they knew who I was though!
With my first pay packet I bought...
I’ve never really bought anything big, so all the lads think I’m stingey!
If I could play alongside anybody...
Gazza in his prime would have been good. Not just on the field but off it too.
Most embarrassing moment
I wasn’t picked for my school team whilst I was playing for St Johnstone. I reckon it was because I hadn’t done my homework or something!
In five years time...
I’ll hopefully be a Scottish international. Maybe I’ll even have got a shot or two on target!
From the November 2007 issue of FourFourTwo.
