HIBERNIAN'S RYAN MCGIVERN READY FOR HEARTS CLASH

By Ian Stewart

HIBS defender Ryan McGivern shares a derby mauling experience with his Easter Road team-mates – except he was the one dishing out the pain.
The on-loan Manchester City left-back is relishing the prospect of getting his teeth into Edinburgh’s fierce footballing rivalry when Hearts visit today in the fourth round of the competition.

McGivern saw glimpses of the Scottish Cup Final on television in May whens Hibs never turned up for the biggest clash in their history in a devastating 5-1 obliteration.

Hibs finished the season utterly dejected as their woeful 12-match winless run continued against their Edinburgh foes.

But Northern Ireland internationalist McGivern knows exactly what it feels like to embarrass your fiercest rivals after City beat Manchester United 8-0 on their way to clinching the league and cup double at youth level four years ago.

McGivern said: “This is my first proper derby, I’ve played in a few local rivalries before but nothing like this.

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Obviously, it’s about the bragging rights for the supporters, you might say it’s about revenge
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Ryan McGivern

“I’ve played youth derbies and reserves – there’s an edge to them all.

“The year we won the youth cup and league double at Man City, our first game against United had been called off early in the season and it came late.

“We ended up beating them 8-0 - that’s probably the most memorable game I had with them.

“We kept the ball for about five minutes without them touching it at one point.

“It was a big shock. We already had the league won and we were in the semis of the cup. I think they were expecting us to field a weakened side but we did the opposite and we gave them a bit of a doing.

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“It got a bit tasty towards the end with the tackles, especially when they weren’t getting a touch of the ball but that’s part and parcel of a derby. “As players you need to stand up and be counted and we’ll be ready for that on Sunday.”

McGivern watched parts of Hibs’ capitulation from back home in Manchester but insists the much-changed Leith side are a different animal this season.

Pat Fenlon’s second placed outfit will head into today’s lash as slight favourites having opened up a nine-point gap on Hearts.

McGivern added: “I only saw a bit of the cup final. James (McPake) scoring caught my eye, and I kept checking it after that but I had no idea I’d be here then.

“But this year we’re a totally new team. I’m not sure how many are in the team at the minute who played in the final but we’ve shown we’re a different animal.

“Come Sunday they won’t be facing the same Hibs team they faced in the cup final.

“We’ll pretty much just ignore it, it hasn’t been getting talked about.

“It’s a team full of different players who are on form, sitting second in the table and have plenty of confidence.”

McGivern knows full well the Hibs fans will be gunning for revenge but he insists the players cannot lose focus of the main objective today.

He added: “Obviously, it’s about the bragging rights for the supporters, you might say it’s about revenge.

“It’s a massive game but it’s an added bonus.”