The Edinburgh Reporter March 2023

2323

Josh signs for four more years

Trio sign deals

at Easter Road

Hibs ace Katie ‘could not say no’ to Easter Road move

Hibernian FC

Katie Lockwood of

Hibs Women and

their manager,

Dean Gibson

Making her mark

By NIGEL DUNCAN

KATIE LOCKWOOD came to have a look at

Easter Road late last year and she admitted:

"I couldn't say no."

The 24-year-old has certainly clocked up the

miles in her soccer career, playing in Sweden

and appearing in the Champions' League, and

also in Cyprus, before ending up at Hibs, and

the striker is determined to make her mark

this season.

KIF Orebro, who play in the top level of

women's football in Sweden, she said, proved a

really good experience and the English-born

striker added: "The team had some really good

players and had a really good coach. It was a

different way of life and I took some really good

experiences from it. It helped me as a player."

She has arrived half way through the season

and defending is an aspect of play Hibs have

been working on and she said: "We don't want

to continue conceding goals as it can cost us

big points."

Huddersfield-born Lockwood, who is a

real fan of her home town club, as is her dad,

who is a season ticket holder, feels the women's

game in this country is growing rapidly and

added: "Young kids are coming to watch and

it shows them what they can achieve. I did

not know what to expect when I came in

but, from the first week, fans were really

welcoming and, from my first game, they had

good things to say.

"The model that the club is going for attracted

me here and so is the way the club is going."

The fact that Scotland is a lot closer to home

than Sweden was another attraction for the 5ft

5in player who said: "I am only a four-hour

drive away from friends and family now so it is

nice they can come to the games."

There are other differences. Cyprus was

hot and Sweden was colder than here and she

admitted: "The worse thing here is the wind."

She plays a lot of sport, including netball,

and also plays badminton and Lockwood

has started playing squash recently. When not

training, she also attends the gym. Long-term

the ambitious player would love to play

football in England and the Euro success of

The Lionesses last summer spurred on

that ambition.

By JOHN HISLOP

HIBS YOUNGSTER Josh

Campbell is “buzzing” to have

extended his contract with the

club to the summer of 2027.

Campbell progressed up the

age grades before making his

First Team debut as a teenager

in 2019.

Since then, the versatile

midfielder spent a season with

FC Edinburgh before making

his breakthrough season at

Hibs during the 2021/22

campaign.

Now, playing in a more

advanced role under Hibs

Manager Lee Johnson,

Campbell has been thriving,

scoring eight goals and adding

five assists in 29 appearances

so far.

Campbell – who has been at

the Club since the age of eight

told Hibs TV:

Speaking to Hibs TV, the

midfielder said: “I’m absolutely

buzzing with it, to be honest.

“Hibs means a lot to me, it

always helps when you are a

fan. The Club has trusted me

and I have put trust in the

Club, so it’s a good connection

that we’ve got. I feel like this is

the best place for me to

progress in my career and that

is why have signed a new deal.

“The Club came forward and

asked if I wanted to stay

around a bit longer, and of

course, it was easy for me to

say yes.”

“It has been a lot better year

for me, in comparison to last

season. I am enjoying playing

in a higher role on the pitch –

I’ve got a good connection

with Élie and Nizzy and we all

work well together.

“I feel the fans are beginning

to see the best of me now, but

there is no time to stop, it’s up

to me to continue my form and

get more goals and assists.

“I’ve always trusted my

ability to score goals and being

a threat. The Gaffer always

talks about and encourages

me to get myself running into

the box and winning those

second balls.

“A few of my goals have

come through latching onto

the second balls, so I think

that is one of the best parts of

my game.

“The Gaffer has had a

massive impact on me. We

spoke a few months ago and

set a few targets in terms of

goals and assists. It is not just

the Gaffer, David Gray, Adam

Owen and Macca (Jamie

McAllister) have all been really

good with me.

“I have got a lot stronger in

the gym, I have lost a lot of

body fat as well so I am a lot

fitter and stronger than before.”

THREE YOUNG Hibs players have signed

new deals with the club.

18-year-old Murray Johnson now has a

long term deal with Hibs allowing him to

join Airdrieonians on a short-term

emergency loan.The goalie has played for

Hibs since he was 8-years-old, progressing

through the Academy ranks. Johnson

played a key role in the U18s title-winning

campaign in 2021/22 and has been a

standout performer for the Hibs Dev

Squad and in the Hibees UEFA Youth

League campaign this season.

Jacob Blaney is also 18 and will go to

Stenhousemuir on loan taking a place in

Gary Naysmith’s side to build up some

useful first team minutes.

A product of the Hibernian FC Academy,

Blaney played a key role in the U19s UEFA

Youth League campaign this season,

scoring against both Molde and Borussia

Dortmund in the competition. The

centre-back made his Hibernian FC First

Team debut at the end of the 2021/22

campaign, coming off the bench in a 4-0

victory over St Johnstone on the final day

of the season.

Josh McCulloch will join Albion Rovers

after also ascending through the Academy

ranks. He will continue to be eligible to

play for the Hibs Dev Squad in midweek,

while he is representing Albion Rovers at

the weekends.

Malcolm Mackenzie