Josh Doig has been handed the ultimate compliment by Lewis Stevenson as he compared the ripped defender to a similar physique as superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
The young Hibs star is in Italy to complete a £3million transfer to Serie A outfit Hellas Verona. Lee Johnson has moved quickly to line-up a replacement with Dinamo Zagreb left-back Marijan Cabraja reportedly set to travel to Edinburgh this week to finalise terms on a three-year deal and complete medical tests.
Easter Road veteran Stevenson believes the 20-year-old can reach the very top of the professional game with many of his team-mates believing he could go on to even bigger and better things from Verona. The defender even joked that getting injured and being replaced by him in his first game has set him on the road to stardom and he should give him a cut.
READ MORE: Hibs boss Lee Johnson relaxed over Josh Doig transfer talk as he provides Christian Doidge update
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Speaking about Doig, Stevenson said: “Josh has potential to go to the top. He’s 6ft 3in, fast, strong.
“Even just looking at him with his top off — without meaning to sound creepy — he looks like Ronaldo, with that kind of physique.
“He’s just an athlete and that is half the battle nowadays.
“Everyone here wishes him all the best. He’s still the same guy he was when he first came in at 16 and trained with us.
“I think his first game was Carlisle. I was injured, he came on and straight away it was clear he had something.
“So maybe it’s me who got him there — maybe he’ll give me a percentage!
“Seriously, it’s nothing to do with me. He’s done it all himself. He’s brilliant to work with.
“I’ve given him little pointers here and there, but he has done the hard work.
“I don’t think I’ve seen a better natural athlete than him and that stands him in good stead. He’s a great boy. I’d love to see him go on and do well.
“We have all been saying, although he got this move, we genuinely feel he could go from there and kick on again.”
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