Hibs signed midfielder Josh Vela on a three-year deal recently.
He made his debut for the Hibees in the recent 3-0 victory over Arbroath in the League Cup. Goals from Florian Kamberi, Scott Allan and Fraser Murray sealed a routine win for Paul Heckingbottom’s side.
How did debutant Vela get on though?
Vela strolled it on his first Hibs start
There’s no doubting the fact that he will face harder tasks in the coming weeks than Arbroath. It doesn’t make Vela’s first appearance in green any less promising though.
Vela was strong in the tackle, protecting the back four with comfortable defending and impressive positioning.
When on the ball, the midfielder sprayed some decent forward passes. Vela was winning the ball back and passing it forward with a bit of purpose and direction.
Another impressive feature of his game was his ability to carry it forward from in his own half. On occasion, once he won the ball, the 25-year-old would drive it 10 or 15 yards up the park himself.
That’s the role Stephane Omeonga played last season and Hibs haven’t found a replacement for him. In Vela though, they might just have someone similar to the Belgian.
Bearing in mind that this was his first game in months with little pre-season work, this was a brilliant Leith introduction for Vela. With more work on the training ground and more competitive minutes, he’s only going to get better.
It’s so far so good for Hibs’ eighth summer signing.