Hibs confirmed the signing of Josh Vela recently. He joins the Easter Road side on a three-year deal.
The 25-year-old is coming off the back of a 17 year stint with Bolton Wanderers. The midfielder played 19 times in the Championship last season for the Trotters as they slipped into League One.
Vela will wear the number six shirt this season in Leith. Here’s what fans can expect from him.
Vela will add a bit of midfield energy for Hibs
Last term was a frustrating one for Vela, perhaps the most disappointing of his career. He never really hit top gear or the potential he showed in his first couple of seasons at Bolton.
That’s more to do with the general mood around his former club though. Bolton are heading backwards amidst off the field troubles and Vela’s performances and attitude were affected because of it.
He became a bit part player and it was clear a fresh start was needed. On his day, Vela is a very comfortable central midfielder.
A hard worker, Vela will play with his heart on his sleeve. He likes to get forward from deep within midfield and control the play with calculated forward passes.
When off the ball, the 25 year old will press the opposition into making mistakes.
He can play plenty of positions, something which Hibees boss Paul Heckingbottom seems to like. Vela can play in front of the back four, as a number 10 and has even been deployed at full-back on occasion for the Trotters.
It’s more likely that with a lack of defensive midfield options at the club, he’ll be asked to play as a CDM. That’s no problem for him though as he loves to get involved in the dirty side of the game.
Vela had a poor season last year and was in need of a new home. He’s found one now and he’ll be hoping to kick on at Easter Road after a disappointing end to his Bolton spell.