It was a hectic last day in the January transfer market for Hibs.
The club completed the loan signing of Florian Kamberi from Grasshopper until the end of the season and the striker opened his scoring account against Motherwell last night.
The 22 year old has been training with the first team squad over the last two weeks and has impressed Head Coach Neil Lennon with his ability and attitude.
A strong centre forward, the 6ft 2in Swiss started his career at Grasshopper, and enjoyed a loan spell at Karlsruher SC in the German Bundesliga 2 last season.
He told Hibernian Media: “It’s a big club for me, a big opportunity and I am very excited to be here.
“The training ground is very impressive – I didn’t have that in Switzerland – and the team is strong. They play football, they don’t play the long ball all the time, and for me when I heard about Hibs I knew from the beginning it was a great opportunity for me.
“I am a physical striker, I’m not one to stay in the box. I want to go up against defenders and bring players into play.”
Head Coach Neil Lennon said: “I am pleased to have Flo in the door.
“He is not a monster but he is a big boy and he plays well with his back to goal. He has decent mobility and links the play well from what we have seen, and we have had a good look at him.
“I have been impressed by what he’s shown and he will bring a different dimension to the way we play.”
In addition, Scott Allan returns to the club on loan from Celtic after spending the first half of the season at Dundee. The midfielder will need no introduction at Easter Road, following a successful season at the club in 2014-15.
Allan was named Scottish Championship PFA Player of the Year in 2015 after an impressive spell under Alan Stubbs, before moving to Celtic.
Experienced goalkeeper Cameron Bell also signed until the end of the season following his release by Kilmarnock. He started his career at the Rugby Park club, winning the 2012 Scottish League Cup with a man of the match performance against Celtic.
He re-joined Kilmarnock in the summer following spells at Rangers and Dundee United.
Bell takes over from Scott Bain who moved to Celtic.
Popular striker Simon Murray returned to Tayside with a loan deal for Dundee until the end of the season.
Anthony Stokes has left the club by mutual consent. The striker was in his third spell at the club after returning in the summer.
He memorably scored a double in the club’s historic 3-2 victory over Rangers in the 2016 Scottish Cup Final, and will forever be remembered fondly by the Hibernian support for that performance at Hampden.
He made 94 appearances in total across his three spells at the club, scoring 45 goals.
Liam Fontaine has also left the club by mutual consent. Another Scottish Cup winner, the defender also helped Hibs to promotion last season and has been a popular player with supporters during his three and a half year stay.
He made 100 appearances for Hibernian after joining from Bristol City in 2014, scoring four goals and captaining the side on occasion.
A club spokesperson said: “We would also like to wish Anthony and Liam well with their future careers.”
Lithuanian striker Deivydas Matulevicius also left the club.
Hibs January transfer window in full:
Ins
Scott Allan
Cammy Bell
Flo Kamberi
Jamie Maclaren
Faycal Rherras
Scott Bain
Outs
Simon Murray (loan)
Deivydas Matulevicius
Anthony Stokes
Liam Fontaine
Scott Bain (loan cancelled)
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.
