Hibernian goalkeeper Joe Bursik was on pre-match press conference duties ahead of the Premier Sports Cup game with Queen's Park - here's all he had to say...

How are you settling in at Hibs?

"It’s been good, and it feels I’ve been here longer than I have, really. The lads and the staff have been great so it has made it seamless to step in and it’s exactly what you want when you come to a new club - you want to hit the ground running.

"It’s been nice having all these [League Cup] games; it gets you into competitive games early but you can also treat them as kind of pre-season games, getting fitness up. I have enjoyed it and I'm enjoying living in Edinburgh as well, me and my girlfriend are enjoying that."

Going by the games you've played in, you're a pretty vocal guy...

"I’ve learned! I’ve been lucky that, from the early stages of my career I’ve been pushed into first team environments. I remember when I was at AFC Wimbledon I used to get out of school at 14 to go and train with the first team. One of the lads, I can’t remember his name now, came up to me and told me he didn't want me to be quiet at all. It sinks in how important that kind of thing is.

"When you’re playing in the bigger stadiums they can’t hear everything but I’ve always felt that it helps me keep focused. Some of the lads will probably say that some of what I say is irrelevant and they’ll turn round thinking, ‘What is this guy on about?’ but it keeps me focused. Any player and defender will tell you how important it is to have a keeper that doesn’t shut up but as the season goes on I’m sure I’ll learn with the two centre halves especially different things that they can take on board quickly without having to think about it."

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Are you just as loud in the dressing room?

"I have my moments! The closer you get with the boys, that comes out. The most important thing is on the pitch, but it's a great group of guys here."

How was it training with Wimbledon at 14?

"It was great, you mature so quickly and I’m very grateful for that. I moved to Stoke when I was 16 and got my first loan when I was 17 in the Non-League Premier, I think it was the seventh tier. I was a bit reluctant to go out, taking my ego into consideration and thinking I was better than that level, but I got pushed out and I was so glad I did, as you learn to smash out as many games as you can, two games a week, and you learn how to manage a game, how to talk and how to stay focused. 

"I'm grateful I had those experiences. The goalie coaches I had at Wimbledon, they must have seen a little bit of ability in me at a young age and thought they could harness that and push me on. It did wonders for me and I've always had a confident personality. I can go into those environments and impose myself. I've always done that, when things have gone well or badly. You always learn from that."

What other 'keepers have inspired you?

"I instantly learned from the 'keepers at Wimbledon.  James Shea was the keeper at the time, who is now at Luton. He is a great guy and it's great to be around keepers at that age because you're just like a sponge. You absorb everything from them.

"Going to Stoke, my idol at the time was Jack Butland. In the space of a few weeks I was then training with him every day. That was crazy and I learned so much from him.

"There were a lot of senior professionals at Stoke and I thought I was in a better position than them physically, but because of their know-how and the experiences they had, they were always in the right positions to make big saves that I couldn't. I saw that first-hand and learned from that so quickly. The pace was higher the higher level you went and it pushed me on. You have to take it upon yourself to learn as much as you can."

Did you get in touch with Jack Butland before signing for Hibs?

"I did, I dropped him a message before I came here. We're always in brief contact. He was down my way when he was at Crystal Palace, that's my local team. I spoke to him and he was singing the league's praises. He had a great season last year which saw him getting shouts of being in and around the England squad.

"Fair play to him. He's done really well and had a few tough years. I get along really well with him and learned a lot from him. It would be good to see him this season. It would be great to play against him. I'm buzzing for him. He went through a hard time, and that's where it's so important to keep playing games.

"You get that confidence back. I'm in a similar situation. The last year and a half I've been unfortunate with injuries and stuff; things haven't quite worked out, so now I'm in a similar place where I'm happy to come somewhere and feel good, confident, and look forward to playing. Hopefully we can do some great things this season."