'I believe' claim from new Hibs ace as Rangers test at Ibrox looms large
· John Greechan · 2026-08-07 · nguồn gốc
Hibs on mission to 'upset' Rangers as European game changer issues 'going there to win' Ibrox promise to fans
Derek McInnes’ Light Blues have started season with domestic draw and European defeat
Hibs will draw on their impressive haul of recent Ibrox results to “upset” Rangers under new manager Derek McInnes on Sunday, according to Easter Road new boy Callum Wright. And the English playmaker, having already marked his competitive debut with a game-changing contribution, insists he’s moved to Scotland to make a thumping impact on the biggest fixtures.
The former Plymouth midfielder came off the bench to create the opening goal as Hibs ran out 2-1 winners over KF Shkendija in last night’s UEFA Conference League clash at Easter Road. Having seen the early part of his Hibs career curtailed by a toe injury and then a quad problem, Wright is eager to step into the starting XI as David Gray’s men seek their first league win on the second weekend of SPFL action.
Martin Boyle scored opener in away win over Rangers last season
Looking ahead to his first taste of playing Rangers on their home patch, and pointing to the fact that Hibs have picked up away wins over the Light Blues in each of the last two seasons, the 26-year-old said: “Obviously you know about it. You know it's an amazing experience.
“But I believe Hibs go there and do well. You want to go and enjoy the atmosphere and enjoy the stadium - but you're going there to win and upset them.
“They didn't win their first game, anyway. So hopefully we can go there and get our season up and running there too.
“It's an amazing start. That's why I've come here. Big games like that are a big part of coming, so I want to impress in those games and win in those games. I'm looking forward to them. It's a perfect start really.
“It’s been frustrating for the start of the season, personally. Obviously I missed the first tie in Europe, which is a big part of why I've come here.
“So it was frustrating but I knew it was only a week or two. I knew I'd have been back very quickly. I need to stay fit now, keep progressing, try and get more minutes on the pitch - and hopefully the fans can see the best of me.
“I'm looking forward to Sunday, obviously. It's a good one to get back involved in.
“Obviously I'm gutted I missed the Motherwell game on the weekend here. The atmosphere was amazing, the game was good. I thought Hibs played well, we just fell short at the end. I'm really excited for the weekend, so hopefully I can try and get some more minutes on the pitch.”
Playmaker made impact on debut
Wright brought intent and invention to last night’s game, creating the opening goal within a quarter hour of his introduction. That desire and ability to break down opposition defences is, he insists, something Hibs fans should expect from him.
“Yeah, I think that's a big part of the game,” he said, adding: “I don't think you’ll ever be able to say I haven't worked hard or given 100 per cent But when I'm playing well, when there's the best version of me on the pitch, I bring goals and assists to the team.”
Praise for danger man with ‘baby face’
Wright linked well with Owen Elding for the opener. Already, that looks like a pairing that may reap dividends for Hibs.
Laughing as he reminded himself that the Irish attacker is still just 20, Wright said: “He's got a baby face hasn't he? But no, the size of him, he doesn't look like a 20-year-old lad.
“So it's going to be exciting. It's going to be exciting to play with him this year and hopefully he can kick on as well.
“He's a real talent. He's obviously a young lad, although he's a big lad. I haven't trained too much up to now, but from what I've seen he's a real talent so it's going to be exciting to play with him.
“Hopefully we can get each other on the score sheets and get assist and goals for each other. Because he's got some left foot on him.”
Having lost at home to Motherwell last weekend, Hibs can take some consolation from the fact that they’ve won two European games on the spin. Having slipped up horribly in the first leg of their opening tie against Malisheva, they turned that second qualifying round contest around at home – and will take a slender lead to North Macedonia after last night’s 2-1 win over Shkendija.
The opposition this time around are, like Kosovan neighbours Malisheva, forced to live something a nomadic existence in European competition because their home ground isn’t up to UEFA standards. Hibs will be back at another national stadium next week, this time in Skopje, to take on a ‘home’ side who won’t have anything like a full support.
Wright, looking ahead to the challenge, believes a noisy travelling support could play an key role, revealing: “Oviously we've only focused on this game, but I've watched games myself of them - and it looks like a tough place to go. I think the atmosphere is really quiet.
“I'm sure Hibs will bring a lot of fans. So it's going to be completely different to here.
“I think it's going to be hot, it's going to be completely new for us, but that's why we knew that we needed to win the first leg. Obviously the fans helped us through the last ten minutes, because they scored. They helped us go and push on for that next goal. So it's going to be a tough day, but it's important that we got the win.
“Having fans away with us just gets our tails up, doesn't it? I'm not sure if they're so used to big crowds like that, if we do bring a good crowd.
“It’s going to be a lot quieter than Easter Road. But if we have our fans there making noise, then hopefully we can get on the front foot over there and go and take the game to them.”