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Understudy moves centre stage after rejecting starring roles in smaller productions
He’s gone a long way for a shortcut, taking the road less travelled in order to give himself a chance – however slim – of playing at a level in keeping with his career to date. If Jordan Smith will never claim to have been sure-footed every single step of the way, he has planted himself in that Hibs goal with a sense of permanence that may be hard to shake.
Having flapped at one, and blamed himself for another, as he stepped in for established No.1 Josef Bursik in last midweek’s barmy 3-3 home draw with Aberdeen, the veteran back-up was solid in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Motherwell a Fir Park. For a player who knocked back opportunities to become a guaranteed first choice much further down the footballing ladder, vindication feels particularly sweet.
The long-time Nottingham Forest squad keeper, still just 29 and with patchy loan spells at Barnsley, Mansfield and Huddersfield sitting uneasily alongside a tough season at Stockport last year, confessed: “It’s been a few years for me. It’s difficult, football is a difficult industry.
“I personally feel like I’ve done well to stay in the game. I’ve wanted opportunities, sought out opportunities.
“I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve been at what I’d call quite elite clubs. Nottingham Forest speaks for itself. Maybe that’s me being a bit arrogant being in Scotland, it’s more of a big club in England.
“Stockport is then a different challenge and a time when I didn’t play. Now Hibs, all very professional atmospheres with really high standards.
“When you’re not playing everyone says: ‘Well, why don’t you play?’ It’s about taking that risk to drop down to a lower division, different potential standard.
“It takes a fair bit of resilience to say: ‘No, I’m going to back myself to break my way into the team by doing what I do in training.’ Fortunately, I’ve got two games under my belt in the league - and one was a clean sheet.
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“I’ve been very fortunate that the gaffer has shown a bit of faith in me and thrown me in. He’s admitted it was a bit of a deep end on Tuesday.
“But you can’t make any apologies for it, that’s the way that it works. I’m delighted to be playing - but the only way I’m going to stay in the team is making sure things happen like they did against Motherwell.
“That’s taking nothing away from Jo Bursik. Everyone has been struggling, there’s massive scrutiny on everything that we do, probably rightly so. He’s a fantastic goalkeeper, got good pedigree, he was signed to be number one here for a reason.
“We’re just going to try and bring out the best in each other. And whoever gets to play, hopefully we can keep getting good results.”
Gray made it clear that, despite Smith looking less than convincing in the crazy six-goal thriller at home to Aberdeen, he’d bee keeping faith with the goalie for the Motherwell game. For a player who hadn’t played a league game since 2021, that demonstration of trust was crucial.
“Honestly, it was difficult against Aberdeen,” he said, when asked about stepping into Scotland’s top division after so long without proper competition. “You probably think you’re ready more than you know you are.
“It’s only moments in games … it’s no secret that I made a bit of a whiff for the second goal on Tuesday night. Even looking at the third with the goalkeeping coach, being critical, that’s probably one where I could save because of where it goes.
“It would be easy for me to say: ’Look, I’m rusty’ and just buy myself that excuse but that’s not something we can do at this level, in a top division. Whoever is playing must be the best version of themselves and gives the team the best platform to get results.
“I didn’t doubt myself. Never. That’s testament to character. It would’ve been easier to take an easier route - but that’s not the way I like to do things. The reason being when you get days like this, it makes it all worthwhile.”
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