A salve for years fo pain

FORTY-NINE minutes was the time showing on the big screens at Hampden when Kevin Thomson's father Alan gave his son a nudge and nodded towards the exit.

Danny Grainger had just thrashed home a penalty to put Hearts 3-1 up in the 2012 William Hill Scottish Cup final, leaving 10-man Hibs staring at the spectre of the embarrassment to end them all at the hands of their gloating city rivals.

As Kevin Thomson trudged out of the National Stadium, little did he suspect that not only would Hibs be back in the final 12 months on, he would be part of the team lining up against Celtic this afternoon, the fates presenting him with a return ticket to his former club and a chance to put a smile back on the face of his old man.

Victory against Celtic today would not only end the longest wait in Scottish football – Hibs last won the cup in 1902 – it would, on a personal level for Thomson, help draw a line under an injury-blighted spell and perhaps also the acrimonious end to the 29-year-old's first spell at Easter Road.

The midfielder went on to win back-to-back SPL titles with Rangers, in addition to the Scottish Cup, two League Cups and a Uefa Cup final appearance, but some in Leith have not forgiven him for the way he – with support from agent Willie McKay – agitated his way along the M8.

Thomson, who rejoined Hibs in March, playing for free after having his contract with Middlesbrough cancelled, said of last year's final: "It was nice to go back – apart from the game. It was the first time I'd gone to see Hibs since I'd left so maybe the fans won't want me back after that result.

"My dad is a big Hibs fan and he gave me a nudge at around 49 minutes in. I said: 'aye, if you want'. If I'd been playing he'd have stayed until the end but I think everyone was a bit frustrated."

Disaster nearly repeated itself in this year's semi-final as First Division side Falkirk raced into a 3-0 lead before Hibs found something within themselves to stage an unlikely recovery and win 4-3 after extra-time.

Thomson said: "I took the centre with Leigh Griffiths after Falkirk's third goal and I could see on the far side that punters were going up the steps. "I told my dad that even if we were 5-1 down, this time he needed to stay to the finish."

Thomson has spoken of his battles with injury on many occasions, but it is a still clearly a subject that rankles. It is little wonder, though, that two broken legs – one of which went undiagnosed for the best part of a season – and four cruciate ligament operations have left some psychological scars.

Thomson in particular bristles against the use of the term "injury prone" and recalls a fall-out with his former mentor Tony Mowbray that left him so disheartened that his dad had to talk him out of quitting.

He still craves the chance to return to the Championship to prove his doubters wrong, and a return to the Scotland set-up.

"I think injury prone is when you get a sore back or sore calf issues or hamstrings," Thomson said. "I've had two cruciate knee ligament injuries and four leg breaks. Anyone's leg would have snapped at Rugby Park that day. Anyone's leg that Robbie Neilson kicked would have broken. Anyone who landed as I did when I jumped the tackle at Partick Thistle would have done their knee."

On Mowbray, Thomson said: "Tony tried to sign me when I was here [the first time] to go to West Brom, then he tried to sign me to go to West Brom a couple of times when I was at Rangers," Thomson added. "I couldn't get him off the phone to honest! But in the end I think he got frustrated that I was never fit.

"After one of the games he said to the media that maybe it was time for me to pull up my socks and get on with it. That quote was the nail in the coffin. I phoned my dad and said I'd had enough. I just wanted to put my things in the car and drive up the road, then have them beg me to go back down.

"I would take the dogs for a walk and get stuck. When I walked on uneven ground and my bone moved, because it was broken, that would be me. I would be left standing at the bottom of the garden.

"I could run and train and the lads all knew what I was going through so when I was training no-one would tackle me or kick me.

"But in my first game back I had Michael Brown breathing down my neck every time I touched the ball. I couldn't tell him 'by the way I've got a broken leg, don't tackle me today'

Instead of Michael Brown chasing Thomson around the park today it will be Scott Brown, a childhood friend and former Hibs team-mate, snapping at his heels.

The Celtic captain, who lifted the 2007 League Cup with the Easter Road side, has had his own injury problems and has been a source of support through Thomson's recovery.

"I spoke to him a lot," said Thomson, who has been reminding Brown all week that he had a good record against him in Old Firm games.

"Until the day we're old and grey, I think we'll always keep in touch. He came down to see me when he had a broken foot and was in a moon boot. We would have made a great centre-mid pair that weekend..."

Taken from the Herald