Now, as a lifetime member of the goalkeeper's union, it will not shock you to hear Craig Samson championing the man between the sticks as having the most distinctly challenging role in football.

Any allegations of bias aside, though, he makes a compelling case.

"It's completely different," says the Hibs assistant coach, who pulled on the gloves for no fewer than 13 clubs over two decades. "Unless you've played in goals, you don't know what it feels like to be in that position. That's where, as the coach, you're trying to relay that to the players."

Samson, as well as holding a broader on David Gray's coaching staff, spends his days guiding goalkeepers of varying age and experience through the challenges of a job like no other. After all, where else on the pitch can you spend 90 minutes doing comparatively little, only to be involved in a single, game-defining action, for better or worse? Even in the YouTube highlight reel generation, where a player can be made to look as good or bad as you please, no other position is judged so definitively on single moments. It's a time-honoured occupational hazard that being 99% flawless isn't enough for a goalkeeper when results can hinge on the 1%.

"It's categorically the most psychologically demanding position," says Samson. "You know, on a Saturday night, outfield players go home and they are physically tired. They're burst. But goalkeepers go home on a Saturday night and they are mentally tired. For 90 minutes-plus you're solely focused on that one thing [keeping the ball out of the net]. There are concentration levels that you have to go through to not make that mistake, to keep yourself involved in the game, make big saves, come for crosses, do everything right. You definitely feel that afterwards, those demands."

(Image: Simon Wootton - SNS Group)

By extension, then, coaching goalkeepers is a wildly different proposition from working with their outfield counterparts. Good players do not always make good coaches, but in the wacky world of shot-stopping there's clearly added value in having that same lived experience. Top-flight clubs tend to run with three keepers in their squad, as Hibs do with Josef Bursik, Jordan Smith, and Max Boruc, but only one is typically afforded significant minutes across a season. It's cut-throat and highly competitive, yet so important that all three function as a unit; competing with, and supporting each other. It's Samson's job to simultaneously manage the individuals and the collective.

"It's very much as important to manage the second and third choice as it is the first," Samson explains. "You're trying to create an environment where we're all pushing each other. We work so much closer to each other than everyone else because we'll do our own training every day, slightly separate to the team before we join the rest of the group.

"You're trying to help them if they have made a mistake. Having been in that position you can understand why they've made it. It's difficult for a goalkeeper because as an outfield player, you can be a sub, come on for 20 minutes and try to impact the game. Sometimes people would think the second choice wants the first choice to make a mistake so that they then get in the team but, in my whole career, I don't remember it ever being like that. If a goalie makes a stop in training, the first person you hear shouting, 'Great save' is the other goalie, because they understand what it's like to be in that position. It's a unique environment for the goalie and the goalie coach."

Working so closely with individuals demands a tailored approach. What gets the best out of one personality potentially does nothing for another, so there's increased responsibility on a goalkeeping coach to dig into the psyche of their players, discover what makes them tick and harness it.

"It's about trying to tap into what makes them feel comfortable, tap into their mindset and what gets the best out of them" says Samson. "It can be physical and mental, and you have to get the balance right for the group you're working with. One goalkeeper might really need to work on a certain thing, but the other needs to work on something completely different. I also have to make sure they know that I'm there as a support, as well as someone who is trying to help them improve. That's one of the biggest things for me.

(Image: Simon Wootton - SNS Group)

"I don't think I've ever worked with a goalie and not had a good relationship with him. One of the first things I always tell them is, 'I won't lie to you'. I'll always tell them where they stand, what I think is right, and what I think is wrong. And we'll always have a discussion about it, even if they don't like being told the truth. Communication can break down if there's something you're trying to hide from.

"I just don't do that. I'm very open with them in terms of what my standards are, what I believe they're doing properly, and what I believe they're not doing properly. We wouldn't sign someone at the club who we know is going to be number two, but I'm telling him he's number one. It just wouldn't work. You've got to let everybody know the position they're in as a goalkeeper, and what they're striving to get to. I think that helps relationships form."

Does becoming a support figure extend to matters off the pitch as well?

"100%," says Samson. "I like to think that if the goalkeeper has something in their personal life they will feel they can come to me knowing I'm not going to then tell the manager; I'm going to help them. I want to help them with all different situations. That's imperative to having a good group; someone you trust who's looking after you, but at the same time knowing that if you take the p**s, they're not going to let that happen."

It's a testing, multi-faceted role that requires both coaching ability and a nuanced, human touch. A big personality helps, too, and Samson is certainly that, a 'hear him before you see him' type who greets everyone and anyone on his way to our sitdown. Having listened to the extensive ins and outs of his day-to-day, all of it geared towards helping others, I'm keen to learn what he himself takes most enjoyment from.

Read more:

"That's a hard question, you know?" he replies. "I love the job. I love being in and about the building here, I love being on the grass, I love the camaraderie with the players, I love working with the goalkeepers.

"I just enjoy being here day in, day out. Some people think that going to their work's a bit of a chore, so I'm certainly very fortunate. I left school at 16 and I've been in football ever since. I'm 40 now. I don't come to work and think 'this is going to be a chore'. I'm here every day to try and make us win football matches, to create an environment that the boys - and everyone at the club - wants to be involved in.

"I wouldn't want to think that there's anyone at the club, from the medical department to the media team, that felt we as a group of staff weren't approachable, or didn't involve them in things. I like being part of building those relationships. But I suppose the best part of football is winning games. When you win games, you get togetherness, you go on a run. When I was here before, we won games of football, and we finished third in the league. We had a really good, tight-knit group of players, and I saw what it took to be successful at this club. That's something that this group - and not just the footballing staff - are striving for together. I believe that that will come."