Greg Docherty: Why break in Hibs fixtures is not what I want after Rangers career stalled

Greg Docherty admits his Easter Road team-mates will enjoy their mid-week breather after Sunday’s match against Kilmarnock which wraps up a punishing schedule of nine matches in less than a month.

But as far as the on-loan Rangers midfielder is concerned, it’s a break he could do without as he begins to enjoy his football again.

It is, he admits, a purely selfish thought but having been given a new lease of life in a green and white shirt after five months of inaction, it’s one that is entirely understandable.

Sidelined at Ibrox, the 23-year-old’s last taste of first-team football was a Betfred Cup tie against East Fife in mid-August, reason enough for him to relish every opportunity he gets to pull on his boots.

“At the start of the season I was just waiting for that opportunity to come and it didn’t really come,” said the former Hamilton Accies player. “So every day I was working hard waiting to see if I would be called upon.

“But I knew there was a chance that I could be looking for football elsewhere come January and I’m glad I kept at it and kept myself in the best shape possible. The more games the better for me at the moment, there’s no midweek games coming up for a while after Sunday which is disappointing, but I think the other boys are happy with that.

“I’m a bit gutted, but it’s been a busy schedule and it will be good to get a week’s training under my belt.”

Time on the training ground has been in short supply for Jack Ross’s players since they returned from their winter break on the Costa del Sol, giving new recruits such as Marc McNulty, Stephane Omeonga and Paul McGinn limited opportunity to get to know their new team-mates while Docherty admitted he’s still to reach peak fitness.

He said: “It’s sort of learning on the job, it’s difficult to get everyone out (on the training pitch) at the one time. Obviously a lot of guys have played a lot of football, some players have been rested as they are carrying niggles. It’s been a busy period but I think sometimes it actually helps being thrown in at the deep end and there’s no better place to learn than on the pitch.

“I’m really enjoying it, playing football again. I’ve had two games in quick succession and I feel I am getting sharper, getting my fitness back – which is great. This winning feeling is under-estimated at times, when you are not playing it’s what you strive to get back into the team for.”

Ross and his assistant John Potter have revealed how Docherty caught their eye while playing against Sunderland last season while on loan at Shrewsbury following his move from Hamilton to Ibrox, believing he could bring a different dimension to their side but, he conceded, that doesn’t make him an automatic choice.

He said: “There’s a lot of quality in that area. I’ve come here, but I have to fight for my place. The manager has touched on it, that I have to stay at it. Vykintas Slivka came in and was very good against Ross County, keeping Stephane Omeonga out of the team and obviously Steven Whittaker has been in there as well, playing really well.

“These guys are top, top players and have a good record with the club while I’m coming in and I have to stay at it and hope to stay in the team. I’m always striving to be the best I can. I have a lot to improve on and it’s a good platform for me and I can really get going again.”

Docherty believes Hibs’ attack-orientated approach will suit his own game, pointing to the vision of Scott Allan which resulted in McNulty’s fourth goal in two games as he opened the scoring against the Staggies before top scorer Christian Doidge took his tally for the season to 16 with defender Adam Jackson also chipping in to complete a comfortable win which keeps the capital club sixth in the Premiership table, just a point ahead of Killie for Sunday’s visit to Rugby Park.

Describing Wednesday night’s outing as “a lot of fun”, Docherty added: “I think we could have been out of sight by half-time, it was a really enjoyable game to play in. What we were saying in the dressing room was to start like a house on fire, to take the game at them to really get at them.

“We got a reasonably early goal but could have been a couple up even before that. There’s a lot of quality in the front-line, Scotty’s pass, Martin Boyle is electric and we have two strikers in red hot form. It’s great for me, I look up and there are so many runs so it’s up to me to find them and let them go and deliver.”

Docherty is under no illusions how difficult Kilmarnock, buoyed by their comeback-win against Rangers will be. He said: “They will be on a high, but so is our confidence. Kilmarnock are breathing down our necks, but there’s a long way to go. We are ahead of them, we’d like to stay ahead of them but we are taking each game as it comes.”