It was good but I think it is more special for him,” Youan said of McKirdy’s appearance from the bench. “He’s been through a lot lately. He’s been working hard to come back. I’m happy for him. To be honest, I can’t imagine what he has been through. I think he is a warrior. He loves football. When you get through something like this, you have to have the love of football to stay focused on what you do. He is back and I think it is mental, he is a very strong guy. A good guy as well, I’m really happy for him.”
Youan revealed that the players and staff gave McKirdy a round of applause before and after the match, while Montgomery spoke in the dressing room. “The gaffer had some words for him and we were happy for him,” continued Youan. “Even when he came on the pitch the crowd was really kind to him, which is good. I think now he knows everybody is behind him. That gives him the motivation to improve and play for the team.”
McKirdy will jet off to Dubai with the rest of the Hibs squad next week for warm-weather training camp. Given Hibs were missing seven first-team regulars for Tuesday’s game against the Steelmen, fighting back to earn a point was in the end a good result. Hibs do need to regroup and recharge for the second half of the season if they are to trouble the European places but it is clear Montgomery has a committed bunch at his disposal.
“The spirit was top on Tuesday,” said Youan, who nearly came off before scoring the opener due to leg knock. “Everybody stuck together on the pitch, no matter what. We are just looking forward to the next part of the season to improve and to show we can compete for the top of the league. The break comes at a good time. We were missing some players. Against Motherwell we were really together. We wanted to show that the team is 22 players. We are going to the holidays with one strong point.”
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