Johnson hails Nisbet’s focus after transfer collapses

LEE JOHNSON revelled in Hibs’ 6-0 demolition of Aberdeen and heaped praise on goalscorer Kevin Nisbet for immediately refocusing following the collapse of his proposed transfer to Millwall.

Hibs had accepted midweek bids for both Nisbet and defender Ryan Porteous, with the latter completing a £500,000 transfer to Watford.

A fee of just under £2.5million had been brokered for the Nisbet deal, however, the 25-yearold decided not to sign and returned from London in time to take his place in the squad yesterday.

Named among the substitutes, he climbed from the bench to net his eighth in as many games since returning from injury and also displayed unselfishness to hand team-mate Josh Campbell the chance to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot.

‘Kevin rang me up yesterday and said: “Look I’m coming back. I want to start”,’ said Johnson after the game. ‘I told him we’d worked all week and he hadn’t kicked a ball in anger, but that we would get him on.

‘He has that laser focus to keep scoring goals. If you want anybody one on one with the keeper, it’s him isn’t it?

‘I’m not sure I would have given Josh the penalty if I was Nissy — it was really unselfish from him. I’m also not sure I would have allowed it if it was 3-2, but you could see in his eyes that he was going to score.’

With another 18 months of his contract remaining, Scotland international Nisbet is now expected to wait until the summer before exploring any fresh opportunities.

‘I’m not aware of anything else bubbling, so I think he’ll be here till the end of the season,’ continued Johnson.

‘We haven’t spoken about it much because he’s only just back — he was even late today because of the traffic from Glasgow.

‘I spoke to him briefly to welcome him back and tell him I’m delighted that he hadn’t gone and then said that he’d be on the bench.’

Although Nisbet’s return was welcome, he was scarcely missed as two Campbell goals and an Elie Youan header put Hibs on easy street before half-time.

Nisbet added the fourth before Campbell’s penalty and a Will Fish header completed the scoring.

The result was a major tonic for Johnson, who has been under intense scrutiny, pressure that has only been lessened by the spotlight turning on Jim Goodwin after embarrassing losses to Hearts and Darvel in the past fortnight.

At full-time, Johnson shook his counterpart’s hand and expressed sympathy for the subsequent conversations that saw the Irishman sacked.

‘I know Jim, I played against him a number of times as a player and I know he is a very good manager,’ added Johnson. ‘It’s a ruthless business, this game. I’ve been on the end of scenarios like that myself but he will be fine.

‘He is a very good manager with a good track record and he will go and get another job very quickly.

‘But I feel like today I want to talk about Hibs and the plan coming together.’

The result saw Hibs climb above the Dons into fifth place in the Premiership table, reigniting hopes of a push for European qualification.

‘It was a brilliant performance,’ said Johnson. ‘The boys were outstanding from the first minute. I’m really proud of everybody associated with the cub for a number of reasons.

‘We wanted to play forward early. We knew Aberdeen would press us in a certain way and I thought Will Fish started us off really well with that.

‘We see that from him in training every day and he has now taken that level of performance into a first-team game.

‘We got two young lads on at 4-0 and we ended up winning 6-0, so they contributed.

‘Josh (O’Connor) won the penalty and then we can start talking about Josh Campbell.’

Johnson joked that he might be subject to a late transfer raid for the everimproving midfielder before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.

He added: ‘I’ll be turning my phone off for the next two days just in case anyone comes in for him!

‘I love Josh. For me, he is the perfect player. He is industrious, fit as anything, brave. The thing I want to keep cajoling out of him is that class and composure in key moments.

‘He’s got it but sometimes he has that youthful exuberance about him and makes rash decisions.’