Why Joe Newell feels better times are on horizon for Hibs

Is the club captaincy shaping up to what you expected? 

"It's been good, I've enjoyed it. No surprises really, probably just a lot more people asking you to do things. A lot more people stopping you and asking, 'Can you do this, can you do me a favour there?'"

People asking you to do things  - any odd requests?

"I don't know really, nothing out of the ordinary; just more the players, the staff and anyone around the training ground - anything that needs doing really, just lots of little things, nothing major of note really. But just a lot more little bits of responsibility I suppose."

Have things changed out and about in the city?

"No, not so much, not really. I've actually not had much time to go out during the Fringe! It's been a bit of a shame. All our games have been on Sundays, so it kind of kills the weekend. But no, nothing's changed dramatically, I had a bit of a taste obviously last season with Paul [Hanlon] not playing as much. But yeah, something that's still a huge honour for me and something I'm thoroughly enjoying, especially the kind of responsibility within the lads."

When new players come in, is part of the role you telling them what it's all about? 

"Yeah, definitely. I’ve not sat the new boys down and said, 'Right, this is what you can expect, let's go for a coffee and I'll tell you exactly what's what'. Part of it is learning as you go, which they will be doing, but it's more like little things to advise about playing against players that I've played against for the last five years for example, or teams.  And then other than that, it's just making sure they settle, so as anyone comes up, 'Give me a call, give me a text if you need anything, don't be shy'.  I've been around the place for a while now, so always here for advice and just kind of make them feel welcome really."

What do you remember about the kind of shock of being dropped into Scottish football when you came up at first?

"It wasn't so much a shock; it wasn't a massive difference for me, I think that just sometimes the overall difference of moving away from home can be a challenge for certain people. It's kind of the first time I've experienced it really.  There's an array of different things really, new environments. The football wasn't really ever a shock to me, I didn't underestimate or overestimate what the league or what the standard was going to be. But like I say, everyone's going to be different, everyone will have little experiences that will differ."

Did you need somebody to help you when you came in?

"At the time, probably. The summer I came in, we had a lot of change, similar to this season. We had a lot of new boys come in. I remember Tom James, Adam Jackson, obviously me and big Doidgy [Christian Doidge] came in at the same time - hit the ground running straight away...! So yeah, we had a big change similar to this season really, so I'd say proof in that sometimes it just takes time to adapt. You get there in the end."

You have that longevity now, you and Martin Boyle...

"But Boyley left, didn't he? So it's probably me on my own too, isn't it? [laughs] Chrissy Cadden, I think he came, was it a year after? He might have come in January maybe. So yeah, there's not many of us now, but it's football, isn't it? It evolves and squads are always changing and stuff. But yeah, again, just the role of I've been here and I've seen a lot now. Advice, any tips or just a familiar face really for guys to come in and I'm always there for them."

Nobody likes losing games at any stage of their career, as captain does it hit even harder? Do you feel more responsibility for performances? 

"Yeah, I do, I'll be honest. I had a good discussion with the gaffer after the first game, the St Mirren one, because no one likes losing. Whether that be big games, average games, training. Every player, well, 90% of players I've played with hate losing. But yeah, the St Mirren first game of the season, the way it happened and stuff, I remember feeling really, really down and it kind of hit me a little bit more, to be honest."

Purely because you were captain? 

"Yeah, I don't know what it was, I genuinely can't really explain it. And the gaffer rang me, I think it was the next day and it was as if he knew how I was going to be feeling. He was like, ‘I’m just giving you a little chat, just to see how you're feeling because you're going to feel it a bit more’. And I was like, ‘Well, it's funny you say that because I have done, yeah’. But again, it's something I'll get used to, I imagine. And like I say, it's probably helped that I had a little taste of it there last season as well."

What does that say about the gaffer having that bit of emotional intelligence?

"Yeah, well, that's what it was. He said, ‘I’ve been there, I've been where you are now mate so I know how you're going to feel, you’ll have ups, you're going to have some amazing moments, you're going to have some low moments. But as a captain, you probably will feel it a little bit more’. So, it was obviously a good touch. But yes, like I say, he's got emotional intelligence and a good human being to kind of notice that."

To an extent, you'd maybe want to feel those defeats in terms of using it to bounce back, but how do you balance not letting it affect you too much?

"Well, I'm sure I've probably said a lot and said, 'You can't be too high and you can't be too low'.  It's a message that the gaffer's big on as well in our meetings when we sit in here. We'll have stages throughout the season where we go on good runs and we're all in a good place and stuff. And that'll be the same message as what's probably been over the last couple of weeks. It's obviously a bit trickier - don't be too down, you can't be too down because there's going to be a game coming up in four or five days, and then don't be too high, because as soon as you get too high, you're going to get slapped back down again.  So, yeah, it's something that, whether you're a captain or not, or whether you're a manager or not, if you're a football player - you can't get carried away with a rollercoaster. You've just got to try and stay on the level."

You've obviously been here a while now, but when you look at the infrastructure now and the squad you've got, does it feel like this really is the time for the players to go and kick on?

"Yeah. That's a good question to be honest because it's something I'm massively enthusiastic about. I imagine a couple of times over the years, people have sat here in front of you, myself included, and might have just told a little white lie and said we're still on a good track when really you are probably thinking, ‘I’m not sure how we're going to go’. Admittedly, we've not had the start we wanted, but it's far from the end of the world. And the belief that I've got and I know that everyone else has got in the football club and the squad now is something night and day really, to what it has been previously. So, yeah, it's obviously not the start we wanted, but like I say, we're in a place where I'm fully confident for this season. I really am."

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What makes you have that confidence? I suppose there's always unknowns in the sense that there's a lot of new players coming in...

"You're right. I might be completely wrong! But the squad we've got now, I see it in training, and the people we've got in charge and the things that we've worked on and the little aspects that maybe you guys and the fans aren't seeing yet, but I know that will come. There are lots of little details that make me full of confidence."

Are there captains you've played with that you still look up to now?

I've had a couple of good captains. Really good. Since I've been at the club, I've had two who are modern-day legends of the football club in Paul [Hanlon] and Dave [Gray].  And down south, I had Grant McCann, who's gone on to have a good managerial career, which shows his qualities. Richard Wood, who's an ex-Sheffield Wednesday, Coventry, and Rotherham centre-half, he's still playing into his early 50s, something like that! He just had a testimonial. But another great captain who'll go on to have a long career in football after playing. I've always got on well with them, I've always got on with the majority of the boys I've played with. I've taken little bits from a lot." 

It's difficult to predict the future, but do you see yourself being here for the rest of your career? Is it difficult to imagine you anywhere else?

"Yes, I'd say the contract I've just signed is probably the one that I think I'm probably going to be settled in now.  I'd love to be here for, well, I might play until I'm 40 and Barcelona come calling still maybe one day! But, yeah, I think for me now, with the leadership role I've got, I'm settled. I’ve always wanted to do well for whatever club I play for, obviously, and that's the main thing, but every football player is going to want to do well for themselves, especially early in their career. You're playing for your career, for your family, for your financial security, or whatever it might be, whatever your motivation is. Whereas now it's like, I'm at an age and I've got the captaincy where the club probably comes before me as the individual now for the first time.  So, yes, I'd probably say I'd like to see myself here long-term. Or as long as they'll have me!"