Hibernian have completed the signing of Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Macey on a short-term deal until the end of the season.
The towering 6ft 7in stopper joins on a six-month contract as backup to Ofir Marciano after Dillon Barnes was recalled from his loan spell at Easter Road by parent club QPR.
Macey has made two appearances for the Gunners' first team, keeping goal in a League Cup win over Norwich City and a Europa League draw with Red Star Belgrade.
The 26-year-old lifted the FA Cup as understudy to Emiliano Martinez in August but has spent the majority of his time at The Emirates Stadium out on loan, representing Accrington Stanley, Luton Town and Plymouth Argyle after costing the London side £125,000 from Bristol Rovers as a teenager.
And the stopper admitted the lure of first team football was too good to turn down, telling the Hibs website: “I’m really excited to get going. I spoke to the gaffer and Craig Samson but, to be honest, my mind was already made up to come.
“I’m grateful for every experience I had at Arsenal but I’m hungry to play first-team football. I know that won’t be handed to me here, so it’s up to me to show what I can do in training and take it from there.
“No-one has to tell me what a big club Hibernian is, in a competitive league. I’m looking forward to getting started.”
Jack Ross had been forced into a selection headache between the sticks after Barnes, who deputised for the injured Marciano in the weekend defeat to Livingston, was called back to Loftus Road to ease the West London outfit's own shortage of numbers.
Marciano limped out of the 3-0 reverse at Easter Road after suffering an injury in the warmup, leaving goalkeeping coach Craig Samson as the only potential candidate to fill on for next week's trip to Celtic.
However, the men in green and white have since recalled 22-year-old Kevin Dabrowski from his loan at Dumbarton in a bid to boost their numbers.
Macey could make his debut as Hibs look for the their first win at Parkhead in over a decade on Monday evening in a fixture pushed back to accommodate the hosts' controversial winter training camp without the Easter Road side's approval.
Ross added: "We are delighted to be able to bring a goalkeeper of Matt’s calibre to the club and I’m looking forward to seeing him challenge Ofir and Kevin for a place in the team.
“It provides us with real strength in depth in the goalkeeping department as we build towards the second half of the season.”
