FOR a young Michael Stewart, the notion of him turning out in Hibernian colours against Hearts in a Scottish Cup semi-final would have appeared a fitting suggestion for April Fool's Day. Hailed as the pick of his crop at Manchester United, and a schoolboy Hearts fan, Easter Road was not expected to be on his list of future workplaces.

Yet the 25-year-old from Corstorphine will take to the field at Hampden tomorrow both contented and comfortable with his position as a Hibs first-team regular.
7 Wonders

The key is in that last utterance, the application of consistency to a career marked by frustration. It is a factor often overlooked in the coverage of Stewart that his first-team appearances for Hibs now outstrip each of the other clubs in his portfolio - Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Hearts. Far from being a temporary switch to an unwelcoming home, as has been portrayed, Hibs have been Stewart's first genuine opportunity for sustained exposure to first-team football.

"From the first meeting I had with Tony Mowbray and Mark Venus, I knew that this was where I wanted to be," says Stewart. "I think maybe some people thought I just went to Hibs because it meant I could live in Edinburgh or whatever, but that's a load of rubbish. I went there because I could tell that the club was run by good people who want to play football the right way and that was something that I wanted to be involved in.

"Playing pretty much every week has been great for me. It was the first full pre-season I had done for three years and this is the longest run of involvement I have ever had. It's meant that I've had annoying little niggling injuries while my body gets used to it, but I've loved every minute of it. This is a team that can win things and tomorrow is a great opportunity to start to make that happen."

Tomorrow sees tens of thousands of Stewart's fellow Edinburghers de-camp for Hampden and, though he would have preferred to see still more fans cram into Murrayfield, Stewart insists that this match will be the most significant of his career in football.

"Making my debut for Manchester United was an incredible day, and I had some great experiences with United, including being involved in the Champions League," says Stewart.

"But this is definitely the biggest game I have been involved in, because of what could come afterwards. It's a chance to go on and win a trophy and make history, and that's what every footballer wants to do."

Last season saw Stewart spend a miserable campaign on loan at Hearts before he settled his Old Trafford contract and made the surprising move to Hibs. He admits that he will have friends and family in both ends at Hampden, and suggests that there is additional pressure for those players with local ties.

"I think the Edinburgh boys have had it the second the balls were pulled out of the bag!" he laughs. "Text messages, phone calls, people in the street - it's felt sometimes like everyone in Edinburgh is waiting for this one. That's why it's so important, and that's why we all know how big this one is for the Hibs supporters.

"What happened with me at Hearts is firmly in the past, I don't feel any anger towards the people who are there now. My motivation is the same as every other Hibs player, to win the local derby and to get into the Scottish Cup final. No disrespect to Gretna or Dundee, but a Cup final that doesn't offer Old Firm opposition is an absolutely massive prize."

Stewart has spent much of the past week with a significant portion of Tony Mowbray's squad, ensconced in the Easter Road treatment room.

"I injured my foot against Celtic, missed the Motherwell game and then last week it was aggravating me the whole time I was on the pitch," he says.

"Hopefully, it will be okay tomorrow. We're missing a lot of players, but there are guys who can come in and do the job. Hampden's a big pitch and we have the players that can hurt any team if they are given the space to do it.

"The gaffer is not the kind of guy to panic in these situations and I'm sure he'll put out a team that can do a job on the day, then it's up to us. Hearts are a very decent team and deserve to be where they are in the league, but these games have to be approached with confidence.

''We have shown this season that we have no-one to fear on our day. We just have to take that belief to Hampden."

Taken from the Scotsman