It’s a market fraught with danger but laden with potential. An environment where one of poker’s golden rules – if you look around the table and you can’t tell who the sucker is, it’s you – most definitely applies.
It says everything about the innate optimism of football fans, however, that the cold, cruel, barren month of January can be enlivened by the merest whisper of a new arrival from some random club in a country that most couldn’t locate with GPS. If every Hibs supporter ever to belt out a Proclaimers song could rhyme off a dozen dud acquisitions who arrived amid fanfare and false promises, hope springs infernal.
They’re not necessarily looking for Mr Right. Just Mr Right Now. A player who can drag them up the table, inject a bit of enthusiasm into the atmosphere at Easter Road, tip the balance in those tight games currently ending in draws or damning defeats. Not much to ask, is it?
You’ll all have your own memories – fond and not so fond – of mid-season signings who made some sort of impact. Here, we look at some of the most interesting characters to have pitched up at Easter Road over the past ten years:
They’re not necessarily looking for Mr Right. Just Mr Right Now. A player who can drag them up the table, inject a bit of enthusiasm into the atmosphere at Easter Road, tip the balance in those tight games currently ending in draws or damning defeats. Not much to ask, is it?
5. Jamie McLaren (January 2018)
IMPACT: An instant hit, the Aussie striker – on loan from Darmstadt 98 and chasing a World Cup place with the Socceroos – was the striker everyone wanted that winter. His eight goals included one in a derby victory, a winner against Celtic … and a hat-trick in a barmy 5-5 draw with Rangers. AND THEN: Returned to Hibs for a second loan spell in the summer. But never quite rediscovered the magic of his first stint at Easter Road. Released in January of 2019. Still only 30, he’s scoring freely for A-League side Melbourne City. Photo: SNS Group Rob Casey
6. Efe Ambrose (February 2017)
IMPACT: An emergency loan signing from Celtic, the Nigerian international went straight into the starting XI. Was a key figure as Hibs won the Championship title to secure a return to the elite. AND THEN: Always one of the most entertaining players in Scottish football, Ambrose signed a permanent deal with Hibs but exercised a release clause to leave in February of 2019. Still playing for Queen of the South at the age of 35. Photo: SNS Group Paul Devlin
7. Jimmy Jeggo (January 2023)
IMPACT: A more recent acquisition on this list, the former Socceroos midfielder made his debut in a 3-0 home defeat to Hearts. The only way from there was up, right? AND THEN: A useful addition to the squad, he’s found a place as a hard-running worker in midfield. Although he’s being squeezed out of the starting XI at the moment. Photo: Ross Parker - SNS Group
8. Rocky Bushiri (January 2022)
IMPACT: Another new-ish face, imposing centre-half Bushiri – still just 21 when he arrived on loan from Norwich City – definitely made an impact. Mainly on opponents, which explains the seven yellow cards and one dismissal in his first half season. AND THEN: The number of appearances he made during that loan stint triggered an option for Hibs to buy. Currently at AFCON with the DRC, he’s been fighting for game time with club captain Paul Hanlon under new coach Nick Montgomery.