Signed from Nottingham Forest, Riley Harbottle knows all too well the step up in class required to cope with the rigours of the English Premier League. However, he is convinced Hibernian’s togetherness can help them bridge the gap in Wednesday’s eagerly-anticipated Battle of Britain encounter with Aston Villa.
Virtually nobody will give Hibs any hope against returning hero John McGinn and his Villa team-mates in Wednesday night’s Europa Conference League play-off first-leg. However, the Easter Road outfit will take confidence from the fact that few gave them a chance of seeing off Luzern.
Protecting a 3-1 advantage in Switzerland on Thursday night, Lee Johnson’s team dug deep to find the resolve required when their hosts took a 2-1 lead on the night and hauled themselves to within a goal on aggregate. The talismanic Martin Boyle was again the star with an equaliser that halted Luzern’s growing momentum.
Boyle and Youan will again be expected to provide the spark in attack against Villa with their guile and electric pace, but Harbottle acknowledges Hibs’ success or otherwise will hinge on the basics of the game at the other end of the pitch.
“Martin and Elie were brilliant the other night,” said Harbottle, who made two appearances for Forest before joining Hibs on a three-year deal in the summer. “They’re dangerous and you look at the pace and power they have. They’re the sort of guys that can provide the X-factor in the games against Villa.
“But there are other big players for us too. I thought Joe Newell was outstanding in both games against Luzern, a real leader for the boys. The togetherness of the group will also be a massive factor.
“Villa are going to be good, we know that, but we have to focus on ourselves and how we can hurt them. We’ll work hard on the training pitch over the next few days to be ready for them. This squad’s a brilliant group. Ever since I came in we’ve been working hard every day on the training field.
“Results have been good in Europe. We have to improve on our performances in the league but nights like Thursday [against Luzern] are the ones you remember and it’s great for the football club.”
Harbottle was a colleague of Matty Cash at Forest, with the full-back departing for Villa in a £16 million move in 2020. With the wily experience of Unai Emery at the helm, he is just one of the stars peppered through the Birmingham side’s squad.
“He’s a few years older than me but I know Cashy from those days,” added Harbottle. “The tie is going to be a great occasion. It will be good to see him again as I’ve not seen him in a while.
“Hopefully we can turn them over this week and that will make everything better! Matty has done pretty well since he left Forest. He’s a great footballer and a great athlete.”
Hibs have so far struggled to cope with the twin demands of European and domestic football this season. The distraction of a glamorous meeting with Villa will be another test for them when they host Raith Rovers in the Viaplay Cup this afternoon.
However, as well as furthering the Easter Road side’s ambitions of landing silverware, Harbottle confesses it could very well be the perfect opportunity for some on the fringes to stake their claim for involvement in one of the club’s biggest games in years.
“It’s been hard for me so far,” he admitted as he waits patiently for his competitive Hibs debut. “I never really got many minutes in pre-season and maybe that’s set me back a little bit. But I’m just focusing on myself and what I can do to get myself into the team.
“Hopefully this cup tie against Raith will give me an opportunity to impress and try to get myself into the starting team for the European games and the league.
“We’ve got a great group and everyone’s ready. You can’t sulk or anything if you’re not playing as games are coming up thick and fast. You have to be ready for when your time comes and hopefully perform when you get the chance.”
