John Collins has urged Hibs starlet Josh Doig to snub the lure of a big-bucks move to continue his development under Jack Ross in Leith.
And if and when the 18-year-old finally moves on, as Collins did at the age of 22 in 1990 when he became Celtic’s first £1million player, he believes Doig will look back on his time at Easter Road with the memory of a Scottish Cup victory this season.
Hibs have to get past Dundee United in the semi on Saturday to set up a final with St Mirren or St Johnstone but Collins feels a Hampden triumph is on the cards.
“Without a doubt,” the 53-year-old, who managed the Edinburgh outfit to a League Cup success in 2007, said. “They have the firepower.
“They’ve got what a lot of teams don’t have – three forward players who are scoring goals in Christian Doidge, Martin Boyle and Kevin Nisbet. That’s a huge bonus.
“It’s great for the manager and the midfielders if they know there are three players at the top of the pitch in form and scoring goals.”
While that trio have hit the back of the net and captured headlines, Collins admits the performances of rookie left-back Doig have caught his eye even more.
The teenager is already being linked with moves down south, with clubs such as Manchester City, Chelsea and Leeds keen.
But Collins is adamant there’s no need to move so early and he speaks from experience, having played almost 200 games for Hibs before his move to Parkhead.
“Looking back, I made the right decision,” he added. “English clubs were interested in me at Hibs and it never happened.
“But I was delighted because I got experience and there is nothing more important for a young player than playing every single week.
“That’s how you develop. You work day in, day out at training but if you aren’t getting that 90-minute test every week your development gets curtailed. I took advice from family, managers and coaches back then.
“But you make the final decision and you have to make sure you do what is right for yourself.
“The advice I always give is, ‘If you believe in your ability and you think you are a good player, don’t rush it’.
“It is hard to knock back big offers but I’ve always felt for a professional footballer the crucial thing is the first-team jersey.
“You can go somewhere and get more money but if you are sitting on the bench or in the stand, life isn’t quite as fun.
“The financial rewards will be there but it’s about choosing the right moment and time to go.
“So many times we see players move too early and they disappear. These English clubs have huge squads and they just stock up on young talent with potential.
“A great example for Doig is Kieran Tierney. He was a regular for many years at Celtic and then moved to Arsenal at the right time.
“Doig has been the highlight of the season so far.”
Collins admits he can’t wait for Saturday’s showdown with United. He said: “Hibs have been scoring goals and not conceding too many. It will be an interesting tactical battle.”
John Collins was promoting Premier Sports’ live and exclusive coverage of Dundee United v Hibs this Saturday from 3.30pm. Premier Sports is available on Sky, Virgin TV and the Premier Player. Prices start from £10.99 a month.
