Hibs hero Steven Whittaker reveals the Hearts transfer offer that was doomed to fail

The full-back reflects on his career at Easter Road and beyond after he was released earlier this week.

Steven Whittaker has seen it all in 10 years at Hibs.

From coming through the Easter Road youth ranks with Scott Brown and Kevin Thomson, to lifting the 2007 League Cup, facing up to Erland Haaland and even turning down Hearts for a second stint with Hibs.

The former Scotland full-back was released by Jack Ross earlier this week. Hibs will always be a club Whittaker holds dear and that was why he wouldn’t even consider joining Hearts when director of football Craig Levein made a bid back in summer of 2017, after he left Norwich.

Whittaker said: “There was interest from Hearts but it was always Hibs for me.

“Craig Levein had been my Scotland manager and Ian Cathro was head coach at Hearts but Neil Lennon and Hibs was always my preferred option.

Sign up to our Record Sport newsletter

Get all the latest Sports news sent straight to your Inbox every day by signing up to our newsletter.

We cover every morsel of information regarding your favourite club in the form of articles, videos and podcasts.

The newsletter will arrive every day at 12pm, giving you a round up of the best stories we've covered that in the last 24 hours.

To sign up, simply enter your email address into the link here.

“It was a no-brainer. I also had options to stay down south but Hibs gave me the security of a three-year contract. It was also a club where I had so many happy times first time round.”

Whittaker may not have got his hands on the Scottish Cup but he did win the League Cup with a 5-1 rout of Kilmarnock.

He added: “The first thing that jumps out was winning the League Cup. Scott Brown and I left that summer and it was almost the proper way for that group of boys to bow out. We also had big wins over Celtic and Rangers then we lost in the League Cup Final to Livingston a few years earlier.

“We were such young players and those experiences helped us all going forward.”

Whittaker came through in a golden period at Hibs, who had Brown, Kevin Thomson, Steven Fletcher, Garry O’Connor and Derek Riordan, under the watching eye of Donald Park.

He said: “The group had the talent and drive to be the best they could be and luckily they had enough talent to go on to the highest level.

“The club got good money for a lot of the lads and that helped the club development with the upgrade of the stadium and the training centre.”

Whittaker arrived as a Bonnyrigg boy and leaves as a Leith legend, with various appearances for Scotland, Rangers and Norwich in between. Not bad for a youngster who thought he had struck it rich with his first Hibs win bonus.

He said: “I was doing really well for the Under-18s and Bobby Williamson gave me my debut.

“I was only 17 and on the bench at St Johnstone and I got on for the last 10 minutes.

“Derek Townsley scored the winner and I was on pennies at the time but the win bonus was massive. It gave me a little bit of feeling what could come if you work hard!”

Whittaker did precisely that and it took him to the very top and saw him win more medals and even play in a UEFA Cup final and the English Premier League.

Then Lennon sparked his career back into life during the defender’s second spell at Hibs.

Whittaker said: “I didn’t play as much at Norwich as I ’d have liked so working under Lenny was great. He gave me that competitive edge back again.

“We went on to equal the club’s top-flight record points tally but it ended up being bittersweet as we were on for second place but ended up finishing fourth on the last day of the season.

“It was a really good team to play in with John McGinn, Dylan McGeouch and Scott Allan.”

There was the consolation of a European return. Whittaker added: “We played Molde under Ole Gunnar Solksjaer. Erling Haaland scored twice against us in that tie and you could see he was a talent.

“To be back in Europe with Hibs was great. It was good to get the club back to that level again.”

Whittaker would never rule out a return to Easter Road after he hangs up his boots. He said: “Hibs are a club that has been amazing to me. I started my career there and had seven years from 16 to 23 then I came back for another three years.

“So out of a 20-year playing career I’ve had 10 at Hibs, which is great because they have always tried to help me and be supportive in all my time there.

“It’s a special place to be. I only have great things to say about the club and their statement left the door open. Maybe further down the line I can return in some capacity but you never know what will happen.”