Former Aston Villa midfielder Jake Doyle-Hayes, who came through the club's academy, was released by Hibernian in January
Jake Doyle-Hayes of Hibernian FC during the UEFA Conference League match between Hibernian FC and HNK Rijeka at Easter Road.
Jake Doyle-Hayes of Hibernian FC during the UEFA Conference League match between Hibernian FC and HNK Rijeka at Easter Road.
(Image: Callum Landells/Getty Images)
Aston Villa academy product Jake Doyle-Hayes is said to be suing Scottish club Hibernian in relation to injuries he sustained while playing for the club. Midfielder Doyle-Hayes, 26, signed for Hibs in 2021 after a brief spell with St Mirren, who he'd joined after departing Villa.
Doyle-Hayes spent three and a half years at Easter Road, but he only made 69 appearances for the club - and 44 of those came in his first season in Edinburgh alone. The injury issues stemmed from a tackle in training made by then manager Lee Johnson, which impacted Doyle-Hayes' ankle and denied him being available to play.
The former Irish under 21 international left the club by mutual consent in January of this year and he has since signed for League of Ireland outfit Sligo Rovers, but it has since emerged that he has begun court proceedings against Hibs.
Doyle-Hayes, who only made three senior appearances for Villa and all of them were in the League Cup between 2017 and 2018 and who also had loan spells with Cambridge United and Cheltenham Town, has raised a compensation action against the club at the Court of Session in Edinburgh last Wednesday.
Doyle-Hayes, who required surgery on his ankle following the tackle, played only six games for Hibs in his final two seasons with the club.
Joel Shaw, of Thompsons Solicitors who are representing Doyle-Hayes, said via the BBC: "The impact of this has greatly restricted his career. These injuries should never have happened and were incurred due to incompetent and incoherent decisions made by his manager.
"Jake's career has been derailed by mismanagement and ineptitude. A career has been lost to this athlete."
Johnson declined to comment to BBC Scotland News, but a Hibernian representative confirmed that the club were aware of the claim.
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