Hibs have signed former St Johnstone striker Rowan Vine in a one year deal.
The 6ft 1in Englishman started his career with Portsmouth before moving to Luton Town where his impressive performances earned him a big money move to Birmingham City in a deal reported to be in the region of £3m.
After helping the blues to promotion, Vine moved to Queens Park Rangers however a training ground injury blighted his chances and after a number of loan spells in England he moved to St Johnstone last summer helping the Perth side to a third place finish.
A delighted Vine told Hibernian TV: “Vine said: “I’m delighted to sign for Hibs – I’ve spent the past few days training at the club and I’ve enjoyed every single minute of it.
“As soon as the opportunity came up, I wanted to take it because it’s clear to me this is a club heading in the right direction and I want to be part of it.
“I enjoyed playing in Scotland last season and when my time at St Johnstone came to an end I was keen to stay in the league.
“So when the chance came to sign for a club like Hibs with its fan-base, stadium and set-up then I was really keen to get the deal done.”
On his last visit to Easter Road Stadium in February, Vine scored twice in a 3-1 win for the Saints and he says the prospect of playing in front of the Hibernian supporters was a big factor in his decision to join.
He added: “I’ve always enjoyed playing at Easter Road – it’s a stadium with a great atmosphere and the supporters are brilliant. Obviously I scored two when I last played there for St Johnstone which was a good night for me.
“Now I’m looking forward to playing at Easter Road while wearing the green and white of Hibs. Hopefully I can bring some extra experience and goals to the side up front – I can’t wait to start.”
The club also announced that Kevin Thomson who re-joined in March and played for no wages after leaving Middlesbrough has also signed a one year deal.
The 28-year-old, who has been capped three times by Scotland turned down opportunities in England in order to continue playing for Hibs told Hibernian TV: “I’m really pleased to have agreed a deal – I always wanted to stay here.
“There were other offers on the table from clubs down south, but I knocked them back because I had my mind set on staying with Hibs.
“I’m aiming to get back to my best and to play consistently well for Hibs. I’ve really enjoyed pre-season so far and playing in the friendly in Gibraltar.
“We’ve got a good group of boys here and I want to play my part in helping to drive the club forward.”
Manager Pat Fenlon welcomed the news ahead of the forthcoming Europa League second qualifying round tie against Sweden’s Malmo FF.
Fenlon said: “Throughout the summer, we have worked hard to identify and recruit the right players for Hibs, so we could strengthen the squad and move forward.
“Both Kevin and Rowan are exactly what we need – quality players with plenty of experience. Overall, we’ve got a young group of players and, with their combined experience, Kevin and Rowan will play a big part in the continued development of our squad.
“It’s great that we managed to finalise both deals before the UEFA deadline and the two players will be available for selection for the first match against Malmo on Thursday.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
