Not quite McGinn but Mulligan making name at Hibs.
To be compared to one of Hibernian’s best players of the century demonstrates Josh Mulligan’s impressive start at Easter Road.
The midfielder joined in the summer from Dundee, after being linked with Rangers, and has already made an impact on David Gray’s side.
So much so that some have compared him to Scotland and Aston Villa talisman John McGinn, who won the Scottish Cup while playing for Hibs.
Those comparisons are obviously fanciful at this point, as Mulligan himself admits, but the 22-year-old’s late goal against Legia Warsaw at Easter Road has given his new fans an unlikely boost for the second leg of their Conference League play-off.
Mulligan was the clear man of the match in Thursday’s 2-1 defeat to Poland, and it’s not impossible that he’ll join McGinn and Hibs teammate Kieron Bowie in Steve Clarke’s next Scotland squad, which will be announced on Monday.
‘Eye-catching’ midfielder living up to billing
Grey described Mulligan as “eye-catching” when he arrived in the summer, and the 22-year-old’s performances have only grown in popularity.
He leads the charts in terms of successful dribbles, touches in the opposition box, and duels won.
That boils down to a box-to-box midfielder who not only gets involved, but also drives forward and gets Hibs into the right areas of the field. “Looks like a brilliant signing,” said Hibs fan David when asked about Mulligan’s arrival by BBC Sport Scotland.
“A very versatile player who can play in multiple positions, so it will be very interesting to see how he settles in.”
“Brilliant signing,” said another fan, Alex. “Good young Scottish talent with plenty of experience for his age. “He’ll thrive at Hibernian.” Thrive is the word.
Despite being rested from the starting lineup against Livingston at the weekend, he came on in the 82nd minute to score the second goal, an absolute screamer from outside the box that rattled in off a post.
It’s unsurprising that Mulligan’s previous stats did not include many goals, given that he was moved between midfield and right wing-back while at Dundee.
However, he appears to have added that dimension to his game after being allowed by Grey to roam forward in attack, continuing to excel in his early days at Easter Road.
Mulligan ‘thinking about miss the whole game’
Mulligan’s late goal against Legia, a back-post rebound after his initial shot was blocked from close range, has earned Hibs a place in Poland next Thursday.
As head coach Grey pointed out, they’ve already had strong performances away to Midtjylland in Denmark and Partizan in Serbia.
But Mulligan was quick to admit that he was relieved to score after passing up a sitter early in the game against the Polish side, who reached the last eight of this competition last season.
“I missed one in the first couple of minutes and, to be honest, I was thinking about it the whole game,” Mulligan told BBC Scotland.
“We stayed in the game, and that goal could be crucial, so I’m looking forward to the next leg.” It is still halftime in the tie.
“They were a decent team, and it’ll take a really good performance. “The boys will have to give everything.”
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