Warren O'Hora knows a thing or two about big steps. His debut for his hometown side Bohemians in the League of Ireland; leaving Dublin for Brighton at 18; asking to go out on loan; signing for MK Dons; becoming a free agent and, most recently, making the move to Edinburgh to sign for Hibernian. 

He also knows enough about the Scottish Premiership, thanks in part to what past team-mates and coaches have told him about it, to see it as the ideal next step in his career. He will wear the number 5 shirt for Hibs and come the start of the competitive season, will be a starting defender for head coach David Gray. The former Easter Road skipper took the job knowing he would need to bring in replacements for the departed Paul Hanlon, now at Raith Rovers, and Will Fish, who returned to parent club Manchester United and has moved quickly to bring in O'Hora and Marvin Ekpiteta. 

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As if it wasn't enough of a big step that O'Hora and partner Hannah have relocated from the south coast to the Scottish capital, they're also expecting their first child, with the baby due in October. He's hopeful he won't have to miss any games, such is his excitement at joining Hibs, but admits it's out of his hands.

"I’ll see how it pans out and if I need to miss any games," he says. "I can’t exactly say, ‘Have it now’, can I! We’ll see how it goes. The move was a split decision; straight up, get it done, get the long drive done, bring up as much as I can in the car, and I’ve just been living like that for the moment. 

"It’s a long way from Brighton, where Hannah is from, so it was a big, big move but she was very happy with the news as well. It was a no-brainer in the end."

At 25, O'Hora is at a good age for a centre-back and his 200-plus games for MK Dons, mostly in League One in England, have prepared him for this challenge. He described it as a 'pinch-me' moment when his signing was announced, and outlined why it was different to swapping Bohemians for Brighton a few years back.

"When I went from Bohemians to Brighton, I was going into the 23s," he points out. 

“Don’t get me wrong: I loved every minute, and I wouldn’t change my career path for love nor money, but it was a pinch-me moment when I moved to a proper football club. No disrespect to Bohs but the football across in England was a dream and to be a professional footballer and get the chance at that age was the sort of thing I couldn’t say no to.

“There were few Irish lads at Brighton at that time and we had a good group but having an historic club of Hibernian’s magnitude coming in and wanting me to play for the first team at a packed Easter Road... that's the real 'pinch-me' moment."

Like many footballers, O'Hora's career was cast into uncertainty by the Covid-19 pandemic. He returned home to Ireland with his contract running down with no clue as to what would happen.

“I was a late bloomer; after I went to Brighton I played 23s or reserves for two years and then Covid happened, and I was sent home. I was sent back to Dublin for weeks upon end because of Covid and nobody knew what was going to happen. My contract was running out and I was thinking, ‘If this doesn’t go right for me, this is where I’m going to have to come back to’; back to Dublin and back to where I started.

“When Covid cleared up and Brighton had me back, I was into the last year of my contract and David Weir, the loans manager, was brilliant for me and I had a chat with him and said, ‘Listen, I need to go out and play’. 

"I was 21, 22. I couldn’t keep playing 23s; it wasn’t doing anything for me any more and I felt I could go out and play men’s football again. It worked out well; I went on loan for six months then signed a contract with MK Dons, had four good seasons - a rollercoaster of emotions, but it was something I had to do. It was so important for me because it was completely different. You need to go out and cut your teeth, earn your stripes, and I felt I did that enough. I played 200 games for them and I’ve got huge respect for MK Dons for helping me."

Cast an eye over social media, and in particular O'Hora's farewell message to the MK Dons fans, and you'll see a fanbase largely sad to see a favourite move on. But, he feels, the time had come for a change.

“In the four seasons at MK we had one really good year, and one really bad year when we got relegated and it really affected the whole club. We missed out on the play-offs last year and sometimes you just think, ‘Yeah, I need a change’. 

“I had plenty of conversations with the manager down there and he knew exactly where I was coming from. I just felt like I’d given everything to MK Dons, and to be fair they’d given everything back to me. That was it; we shook hands, and we went our separate ways.

“Maybe it was for the best. We’ll see - but I’m going to give everything to Hibs. The standards here are different to what I’m used to but it’s something I’m really looking forward to and I’m really excited by it."

He's not a stranger to Scottish football either, despite having not played in the country until now.

"I know a few who have been up and down and played in the league; I spoke to them and coaches I’ve had who have played in the league before. They all spoke very highly of it; said it’s a different challenge and one you can’t take lightly. It’s a tough league, it’s high-tempo, it’s aggressive and it’s what I needed. I needed a change."

Another big step, and you imagine he has other big steps marked out in his first season at Hibs. First start, first goal, first clean sheet - that sort of thing. But there's another big step lingering at the back of his mind: the Republic of Ireland national team. Club comes first, of course, but for a player with six youth caps, he admits the carrot is there - and his international dream can only benefit Hibs as well. 

“I’d like to think I’m still at a good age. I’m 25 and it’s a dream for anybody to play for their national team. You have to have that type of goal to keep you going. You need to have something to chase and if you make it there, you pick something else to chase and you keep going," he says, a steely determination coming through and hinting at why Hibs were so keen to bring him in.

“I need to focus on my club football first to get to that milestone and this is definitely a club that can improve me as a player. If I do my stuff on the pitch and we do our stuff as a club then maybe that call will come, and it would absolutely be a proud moment for me and my family, no doubt about it.

“It’s definitely in the back of my head - it has to be. I wouldn’t be pushing myself if it wasn’t. You have to see it as a challenge to get into the squad or get the call and it can definitely happen. There are boys who have played in Scotland who are in the squad now so it’s not impossible.

“It needs to happen for you but you need to get a lot to get it, and I understand that. Who knows if the call will come? Maybe it won’t. But I’ll still chase it until someone says I can’t."