Joe Newell is desperate to crown his Hibs career with silverware after a man-of-the-match display in Sunday's 2-1 Premier Sports Cup semi-final win over Hearts. The 33-year-old midfielder says a cup is the one thing missing from his time at Easter Road.
Newell has played in Europe and experienced the lows, but beating Rangers in next month's final would top everything he has achieved in the green of Leith. He said: "Yeah, desperate. It would be amazing. It's all I've ever said."
Silverware the only missing piece
"My Hibs career has been amazing and I'm so lucky and so grateful to have what I have had. A cup is what I've missed and it's the one thing I'd love more than anything," Newell added.
"So we're in a position now where it can happen. And yeah, it'll be hard to not think about it because like you say, that is a little bit down the road and there's important games coming up, because we need to get ourselves in gear in the league. There's a big, big chance there now. So fingers crossed."
Confidence despite underdog tag
The bookmakers will make Rangers favourites, but Newell is confident Hibs can upset the odds at Hampden a second time. He stated: "Yeah, maybe. That might be the external point of view and stuff."
"But we weren't underdogs today in our own minds. No chance and I think you saw that today. Two good teams, but I thought we were the better side. So yeah, so who knows? Like I say, it's down the road, but we'll analyse the week leading up to it and stuff."
"But we'll have so much confidence internally, I'm sure. And who knows what kind of form and what the situation is for both sides going into it. It's like I say, a few weeks away."
Emotional Hampden moment
Newell has witnessed big renditions of Sunshine on Leith before, but he reckons hearing it at Hampden on Sunday afternoon topped the lot. He claimed: "Yeah, it's just, it'll live with me forever. That's probably my favourite."
"I'm probably getting emotional now, but it's just seeing that at Hampden, it's just incredible. We've been through a lot this season, obviously, already, the fans. So to give them that, it's unbelievable. You can't actually put it into words. It's such a special feeling inside. A lot of the boys have probably seen it for the first time today. And if they didn't know now how special the club is, they will do."
It was the first win for Marink Reedijk as Hibs manager at the fifth attempt, guiding Hibs to a historic first Hampden win over their city rivals. He acknowledged: "It's massive, isn't it? I think we've all been saying it internally that we have been trending in the right direction."
"I know obviously it's hard to see from the outside, but we have felt that and we really believe that. So, for it to click today, it's just perfect."
Kick-on needed in the league
Newell knows the win must kick their side on, starting with getting off the bottom of the Premiership. He admitted: "Huge. You kind of forget that there's a cup final after that. You know what I mean? You feel like that's it, done. Because it felt massive. These games are always huge, no matter where they are. But like you say, the start to the season with changing manager, Hearts going well. It's kind of stacked against us."
"So it feels huge. It won't be irrelevant, obviously, because we're in a cup final, but we have to kick on now. You have to use it. And hopefully it gives all the boys confidence, which it should do, because there were some amazing performances out there today."
Hibs went behind in the fourth minute, but Newell reckons they showed character and spirit to get back into things. He joked: "Here we go. That's the game plan out the window! Yeah, it's not ideal, is it?"
"You go to bed last night thinking of all the scenarios and the way you dream and imagine the game's going to go, and then after two minutes they score and it's like a team that's flying high at the minute."
"I think, if anything, it shows how special the character is and kind of emphasises it was even more of a special performance. Not just the win, but the performance in the first half after that was outstanding. I thought we were by far the better team coming into half-time. In the lead, deservedly so. On and off the ball, I thought we were very good."
"To concede after two minutes and to respond like that, it's full credit to the players. It shows some composure, some bravery. All those words definitely fit in."
"I think it was a game of contrast in halves, really, from our point of view. I thought, first half, you can see the kind of style and the way we want to play now. I thought there was some really good football played. It's a cup game. You kind of expect that, but then to dig in the way we did, show all that courage, bravery, defending the box, but then still create a fair few chances ourselves. Complete contrast in halves that shows two sides of the game that you need to win a game of football."
