Ian Black was all set to sign for Hibs before agreeing a pre-contract with boyhood club Hearts.
The midfielder moved to Tynecastle in the summer of 2009 from Inverness having agreed to join the Jambos the previous New Year,
Black spent three years in maroon, which culminated in a Man of the Match display against their city rivals in the 5-1 Scottish Cup final triumph in 2012.
But it could have worked out very differently if then- Hibs boss Mixu Paatelainen had gotten his way.
“Mixu tried to sign me twice,” Black revealed on the Open Goal podcast with Si Ferry . “He tried to buy me from Inverness initially but I can’t remember what went wrong there.
“So then I have to be at Hibs’ training ground at 7 o’clock in the morning so I’m up there with my agent [Gary Mackay], medical done, everything done and dusted.
“My agent would deal with the paperwork and negotiating and all that but the medical was covered.
“Then my agent phoned and said ‘ Hearts want you as well, can you get to Tynecastle?’ and I’m like ‘I’ll be there in a minute!’ and I was off.
“So I went in there and did a medical, then it was a no-brainer from then on.
“If Hearts hadn’t come in for me I would’ve signed for Hibs. Mixu never phoned me afterwards or anything. He was a good guy as well.
"I knocked him back twice though from Inverness. Then Pat Felon actually phoned me after we pumped them in the cup final...
“Hearts was a dream come true though. Having supported them then to get the opportunity, I just couldn’t wait to get started.”
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