New Hearts signing Toby Sibbick laughed about transfer links to Hibs and insists he never could have crossed the Edinburgh divide.
Sibbick penned a three-and-a-half year deal at Tynecastle yesterday after they paid Barnsley an undisclosed fee for his services.
The defender had been linked with a move to Easter Road more than once since a short-lived loan spell with Hearts back in 2020.
But he admitted he always felt he would return to the maroon side of the capital and is delighted to be part of Robbie Neilson' s squad.
"There were just links,” Sibbick laughed. “I always felt like I would come back to Hearts. This is a great club.
“I’ve been linked with them [Hibs] twice now but I don’t think I could do it to such a great club. The fans have taken to me so well and they’ve always sent me positive messages on social media.
“When I did get linked with Hibs, my DMs were full of Hearts fans saying please don’t go and telling me to come home.
“So I came home and I’m delighted.
“I’m not too sure if Hibs actually made an offer. The two clubs [Hibs and Barnsley] were talking about something but if it ever came about, I would’ve said no.
“This is home for me.”
Sibbick will be hoping things go better for him second time around.
After an impressive debut in a win over Rangers under Daniel Stendel over two years ago, Sibbick was struck down by glandular fever which meant he had to be extra careful when it came to a return to playing.
Then Covid hit.
“The first week was crazy,” Sibbick recalled. “I was in bed sleeping 16 hours a day. I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t drink because my throat was so swollen.
“I got over it and recovered fairly quickly so was in doing fitness work, but I couldn’t play because they said my spleen was too big.
“If I got an elbow on it, it could get ruptured and long term it would’ve harmed me.
“I didn’t really think about the long-term effects too much. My mum’s a nurse so it was only after I spoke to her that she told me that it can affect people for a long period.
“It was just bad luck and bad timing. There’s a reason it happened though and I’m back now, so hopefully this spell is much better than the last one.”
