Lee Johnson has opened up on the moment he learned Martin Boyle would be available to face Hearts as he revealed he ignored the advice of the Hibs hierarchy to include the returning fans' favourite.
Hibs completed a deal for the 29-year-old last night just eight months after his departure for a life-changing move to Saudi Arabia with Al-Faisaly back in January. However, once the chance presented itself, the capital club moved quickly to bring the attacker back and he made an instant impact as he netted a derby leveller with the last kick of the ball to send Easter Road wild.
The result made it four points out of six to kick off the season for Hibs. Lawrence Shankland had opened the scoring with his first Hearts goal after superb play from Barrie McKay, and that looked like it would be the deciding effort before the last-gasp injury-time drama.
Speaking about when he found out Boyle could play and plans for his involvement, Johnson said: "I was out for dinner with my mum and my nan and I was desperate to take the call.
Sign up to Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox
READ MORE: Martin Boyle Hibs contract details emerge as Lee Johnson labels move 'huge boost' and hails board
"It was about 9pm last night. There was a bit of deliberation about whether I should play him, from one particular key figure who didn't think I should but I will remind him gently, very, very gently that that’s my role!
"Obviously we have known the work he has been doing but, honestly, I was probably thinking 20 minutes today and I would have been happy with that but with Josh [Campbell] going off and being 1-0 down, we had to throw caution to the wind.
"When he got that knock I had a horrible sinking feeling that he had torn something or pulled something but he is a light players, fleet footed and the way he moves across the ground, players like that are quicker to come though, fitness wise, than the 6’4” target man. So I don't expect it to be too long, maybe two weeks before he will be ready for 90 minutes.
"We have a really good sports science team here, so I think we will get his journey mapped out well and get him starting as quickly as possible."
On the derby draw with Hearts, he added: "It's relief in one sense; there's a lot of emotions bundled up in those moments: frustration, a bit of anger, all of a sudden you score a goal and bang; everything changes and everything lifts.
"It was an important goal. We've got a really nice vibe going on in terms of the lads and the training ground and they worked really hard.
"We're not the finished article, we know that, I was a little bit disappointed in our quality in terms of that ability to have fire in the belly and ice in the head.
"We had the fire in the belly but ice in the head maybe not so much.
"I think we've got better than we showed in terms of that footballing arrogance that we could have shown today but to turn that within two minutes from everybody going home disappointed to half of the city buzzing is really important."
"If you take the balance of the game it was probably pretty even. Hearts were probably the better side in that core spell when they had the lead in the second half but we work on the tactical scenarios, and we work on them a lot so the boys knew what was coming, they knew we were going to throw caution to the wind.
"It was a half-decent chance when Rocky Bushiri headed over just before the goal so we always felt we could get one or two chances in that last five-minute spell with the attitude to risk that we take.
"That was nice to see. Nobody gave up, everybody went for it.
"If you've got pace in the team like we have with Youan and Boyle then those moments are there in games.
"I'm just happy that the green half of town has been sent home alright."
READ NEXT:
- Martin Boyle on his whirlwind Hibs return and Hearts derby phone call as he takes place on bench
- Martin Boyle Hibs contract details emerge as Lee Johnson labels move 'huge boost' and hails board
- Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa captaincy show of faith in John McGinn will provide 'huge boost'
- Hearts transfer update as Baningime return month predicted by Joe Savage ahead of more business
