Defiant Tam McManus insists no Hibs fan was surprised by Ryan Porteous' impressive Scotland debut as he fired back at critics of the defender.
The centre-back was thrown in at the deep end by Steve Clarke in the crucial Nations League showdown with Ukraine and was central to shutting out Oleksandr Petrakov's side to seal the draw and top spot in the group. Porteous performance was summed up by a perfectly timed tackle on Oleksandr Zubkov as the Ukraine sub let fly with the clock ticking into the final moments.
Former Hibs striker McManus reckons Rangers fans and other Scottish Premiership rivals have got the wrong impression of the 23-year-old after only seeing the defender in highlights packages. He reckons Porteous is now destined for a big move away from Easter Road with his contract running out next summer, telling The PLZ Football Show : "We defended really well, but I think that was a coming of age performance from Ryan Porteous.
"He has took an enormous amount of stick from many people, and I'm sure when that team came out many people were thinking 'Porteous is a bomb scare'. He shut a lot of people up last night. He is not squeaky clean, and his antics on the pitch have been disappointing at times.
"But at times he has been a scapegoat for Hibs. I am delighted he put the performance in. I don't think he will be at Hibs long-term, and that performance last night might have got him a big move somewhere else.
"He probably didn't think he was going to play, and then all of a sudden they (the defence) are dropping like flies. It's not just a friendly, it's a huge game, so to play the way he played is outstanding.
"The thing is Hibs supporters are not surprised by that. Hibs fans have seen him put those performance in for Hibs year after year.
"People that watch highlights; Rangers fans, Motherwell fans, St Mirren fans. They see him make a mistake and think he's rotten. I've watched him with Hibs TV for two years. He is a top player when he concentrates."
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