Myziane Maolida has remained tight-lipped over his future - despite admitting he is enjoying his football again after a torrid time at Hertha Berlin. 

The French-born attacker has been in eye-catching form since signing a half-season loan deal from the German second-tier side, with five goal contributions in ten games so far. He is under contract at the Olympiastadion until the summer of 2025 but appears to have very little interest in seeing it out with his future up in the air. 

“I’m motivated just to play games and show my quality in every game. It’s easier to play well when the coach shows trust in you. That’s why I am really enjoying my football here," he said, speaking ahead of Hibs’ trip to Dingwall on Wednesday night - but steering clear of laying out his plans for beyond the summer.

"My family and friends say they can see I am enjoying my football, I’m more happy, my body language is much better. They’re happy for me that they’re seeing me like this. Hopefully I can continue to do that."

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Hertha boss Pal Dardai didn’t hold back in his criticism of the Comoros internationalist, publicly accusing him of laziness as he demoted the Lyon academy graduate to the club’s B team, which plays in the German fourth tier, and Maolida admitted the Hungarian manager’s comments had stung.

“He said I didn’t do well in training, not so well, that’s why he put me in the second team. Every time the coach says something bad to you it’s not easy. But my head now is good and I will work hard, I’m happy here. For me, it’s in the past. Now I’m focused on Hibernian. Once the coach has trust in you then you are more free on the pitch and in your head. It’s just much better,” he continued. 

Most parent clubs maintain contact with players out on loan, with regular phone calls, video calls, WhatsApp messages, and more as part of the agreement. But that doesn’t appear to be the case with Maolida, who shrugged when asked if the Hertha hierarchy was keeping in touch with him during his time in Edinburgh.

“No, there’s no contact. I’m just here and focused on what’s happening here. I have no contact with them. Maybe they look at my performances, maybe not. I don’t know. I’m not disappointed because I’m very happy [at Hibs] with my teammates, the fans and everybody here.”

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Nick Montgomery’s man-management skills have been lauded by everyone, from former managers to current players, and he has spent time with Maolida to help him hone his skills in green and white.

“He gave me confidence. He talked with me the other week and we went through some videos after a game to show me what I can do better, what I did badly, and he just helped me a lot.”

The 25-year-old will almost certainly start in attack for Hibs as they look to make it back-to-back victories over Ross County when they travel to Dingwall on Wednesday night. Whether or not he starts centrally or on the left may depend on the fitness of other players and Montgomery’s review of Sunday night’s Scottish Cup quarter-final defeat by Rangers, in which Emiliano Marcondes operated as a false nine with Maolida prowling the left flank.

“I can do more. I can play better than I did on Sunday. I’m in good condition, I feel good mentally. I can show my qualities,” he insisted. 

He has been called up to the Comoros squad for two friendlies during the international break against Angola and Uganda, both in Marrakech in Morocco and is hopeful of featuring before coming back and finishing the season strongly at Hibs.

A practising Muslim, he is currently observing Ramadan but insists he has no problems fitting his football and nutrition requirements around the strict need for fasting.

“It’s not difficult for me because I have been doing it for a long time. I have been a professional for eight years and I’ve been doing it since I started at Lyon. It won’t be difficult for me to observe Ramadan, it’s natural for me. You can’t have anything at all. You just have to get up in the morning and prepare for the day, until the sun goes down. 

“I have breakfast at 4am. It’s important for me to have energy so I make sure I do it. Every time I’ve observed Ramadan I’ve felt good. Even when I did it at Nice I felt very good, I had some good games. So it’s not difficult. The only difficulty is not drinking water but it’s been fine for me.”