HIBS v HEARTS

Today, kick-off 12.15pm

Live Sky Sports

GARY CALDWELL says he has dreamed of lifting the Scottish Cup and won't sleep if he can't deliver Hibs fans the perfect going away present before he joins Celtic.

The skipper is well aware of the supporters' desperation to end the club's record of 104 years without winning the tropy. Time is running out for Gary to live his dream as he has signed a pre-contract agreement with the Hoops for next season.

That's why he is determined to win today's semi-final clash with city rivals Hearts then go on to take the trophy so he can leave Leith with his head held high.

Caldwell said: "We could become a part of Hibs history and it would be a lot easier to leave on that note than it would be if the season finishes like a damp squib. "I'm doing as much as I can to leave on a positive note. Hopefully the fans can look at what I have done for the club over the years and think I've given good service. "I've dreamed about winning the cup a few times but you have to pinch yourself because there's still a lot of football to be played.

"It will be tough but it would be a perfect way to leave and it's something I want for the fans as much as for myself. The 104 year thing is high in the supporters' minds, when you have been a Hibs fan for 40 years or so you know the club traditions.

"But Gary Smith is the longest serving player and that's only been five or six years so it doesn't affect players as much as the fans.

"However, it would be great to end the jinx and the fans could get it off their backs."

Caldwell is in the same situation as previous captain Ian Murray who pledged his future to Rangers before the season was out and Hibs faced a semi-final showdown with Dundee United.

The big defender is grateful the Edinburgh support has not singled him out for abuse and aims to repay them by succeeding where Murray just fell short, as United surprisingly denied them a final date with Celtic.

But Gary has no regrets about securing his move long before this season is finished.

He said: "I don't care what anyone else thinks, I'm only worried about what my manager and the people at this club think and they're happy I did what I did.

"The fact it came out in the open was, for me, a good thing. Recently I've not been doing well but prior to the news coming out I was playing probably my best stuff ever - the pressure was off.

"Everything gets talked about behind the scenes and it can be a difficult and unsettling time. Once it got sorted my boss knew I could get on with my job of helping Hibs win matches.

"This is a club with a big future but I had to do what was right for me and moving at this time in my career was what I needed.

"I want to leave having done something - to be part of a team that was successful.

"We are not far from doing that, be it winning the Scottish Cup or finishing third in the league and getting into Europe again."

Last weekend's 2-0 home defeat by Inverness Caley Thistle was hardly the preparation gaffer Tony Mowbray was looking for ahead of such a crucial game but Caldwell insists confidence is still high.

That Hibs are competing with big-spending Hearts at all, never mind looking to take the game to them today, is in Caldwell's eyes testament to the team's quality.

He said: "We would have hoped to be closer to Hearts in the league but for whatever reason we've slipped off the pace.

"With their finance and players I don't know how we can stay closer. We are letting players go while they're signing 11 on the transfer deadline day so for us to be so close is tremendous.

"Hopefully, if we can beat them in the semi we can win the cup. That too would be a fantastic achievement for a club of limited resources. You don't get a bigger game than this and hopefully we can live up to expectations and it's a good advert for Scottish football.

"Although we've maybe not had the results recently we are not down or low in confidence and can't wait for this game to come.

"It has been difficult to maintain the consistency Celtic have.

"Hibs, Hearts and Rangers have all failed to win games they should have and that's why Celtic are running away with the league.

"So it's not just ourselves who are struggling with form, we're young and hopefully going to learn you can't afford poor performances.

"If we have another one against Hearts we can never get it back because this is a cup tie, a one-off, and something everybody has to get into their heads that if the result's not good it will hurt for a long, long time.

"Consistency is what makes you the best - wins league titles and makes good players better players - and we are all striving to become that.

"But this game's not about being consistent and maintaining form and that is why the best stuff we've played all year has been in the cup games.

"So from that point of view our confidence is high."

Taken from the Sunday Mail