After almost 20 years and 600 appearances, Hibs legend, Lewis Stevenson, has graced the Easter Road pitch for the final team.
Alongside fellow stalwart, Paul Hanlon, the two received an emotional farewell from the Hibees faithful in their final home game against Motherwell.
On an emotional night, the pair put on one last show for their adoring supporters, keeping a clean sheet as the side won 3-0 on the back of a turbulent few days for the club following the sacking of Nick Montgomery.
Stevenson said: “I didn’t know what to expect after the last 40 hours. It’s all been pretty mental at the club.
“I was a bit worried that it was going to peter out to nothing. The boys put on a performance, not just for us, but for everyone. For the fans, we all needed it.
“Just the appreciation we got at the end and the support and the thank you for us. To the fans as well, because they’ve been through everything with us. It was an emotional night.”
Ever the professional, even in his final home game he refused to take a penalty Hibs to create the perfect send-off, he said: “I didn’t want to take it anyway. Maybe if it was the last minute and we were still 3-0 up, I might have taken it. We wanted to win the game.”
The word “legend” often gets flown around in modern football, but “Lewy” is the dictionary definition, he is the only Hibernian player in the club’s history to have won both domestic cups and holds the record for most league appearances.
Even after such a long period in the one place, it is clear the admiration Stevenson still holds for Hibs, he said: “I think there have been boys that have been here for a while and that just shows a glimpse of how special this club can be. Me and Paul spoke after the game and said that could galvanise the club and hopefully things start going in the right direction.
People get a glimpse of that. If you get a slight bit of success at this club, it’s a special place to play football. The fans want something to cheer about. If we can do that on the pitch, then it’s an amazing place to be.”
Following the final whistle, the two departing heroes received a guard of honour from their teammates, then, alongside their families took the home fans’ applause for the final time, poetically accompanied by the tune of Sunshine on Leith.
The coming summer will bring a huge amount of change for Hibs and the club may look vastly different at the start of next season, proven by the fact that Stevenson and Hanlon will no longer be around.
For a generation of young Hibs supporters, the club will look unrecognisable without the legendary and irreplaceable modern greats.
Masters Student currently studying Sports Journalism at Edinburgh Napier University.
