Hibs’ first signing on the January transfer window, 6ft 7in goalkeeper Matt Macey on a contract at that will run until the end of the season after bringing an end to a seven-year stint with Premiership giants Arsenal.
Matt will now face competition from Ofir Marciano and Kevin Dabrowski for a first team start but he is looking forward to the challenge and revealed that former Celtic star Kieran Tierney encouraged him to make the journey north.
The new signing joins a small band of players to have featured for both clubs including fellow goalkeeper Willie Harper who made the reverse trip almost 100-years ago.
Since then Joe Baker became a Highbury legend after making the journey via Torino whilst Peter Marinello and Alex Cropley took the direct route.
Players who started at Arsenal before arriving at Easter Road include Scottish Cup winning hero Anthony Stokes, Dean Shiels, Graham Stack and Daniel Boeting.
Macey has already shown his potential keeping a clean sheet against Kilmarnock and only posing one at Parkhead from an unstoppable strike from David Turnbull.
Speaking to Hibs TV on the day of his signing, Macey said: “It all happened quite quickly. I wanted to come from the moment I heard Hibs were interested. Then it was a case of jumping in the car for an eight-hour trip. I suppose that gave me a lot of time to think things over before I arrived at the training ground, but my mind was made up.
“I spoke to Kieran Tierney at length about the opportunity to come to Hibs, about Scottish football and the country in general. Kieran was really positive about every aspect of it, whether it was the club or Edinburgh itself.
“As I said, I was already keen to come but it was good to hear him talk so enthusiastically about it all. He backed up the gut feeling I had. Kieran’s someone I have a lot of time for and he’s probably one of the first names on the team-sheet – if not the first – at Arsenal just now.
“I really enjoyed my time at Arsenal, but this feels like an opportunity that I’ve been waiting for. I want to kick-start my career.
“The last few years haven’t gone the way I would have planned, but that’s always the trade-off when you’re at a massive club with world class players. It’s an opportunity to play in games that matter and the thought of that is really exciting.
“ They gave me a great education and I’ve had the chance to work with some amazing coaches and players. I had some incredible experiences, especially on the road for some big games. You also get plenty of practice in training trying to save shots from some world class attackers.
“Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sticks out. He has a real killer instinct. In some sessions it can feel like a bonus just to save one or two of his shots. When I was younger I was a bit more starstruck by it but there comes a point when you want to make an impact yourself.
“I always took my responsibilities there seriously. You can still make an impact in your own way by working to a high level and challenging the people around you in training, but I feel like I’m at a point when I really want to be playing games.
“I had a good chat with the gaffer and Craig Samson. It was all very positive. It feels like a great fit for me. They really didn’t have to sell the club to me. They were honest about the club and what they want to achieve here. It sounded like something I really want to be part of – a team that wants to challenge for silverware and qualify for European football.
“I’m looking forward to meeting and working with the other goalkeepers and I’m up for the challenge. I just want to feel like I have the opportunity to play. If I give my all and, for whatever reason, one of the other boys gets the nod then I’ll be supportive of them. But I really want to give the gaffer something to think about.”
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.
