Ivan Sproule welcomes Garry O'Connor reunion at Hibs

New Hibernian signing Ivan Sproule has revealed his delight at being reunited with fellow newcomer Garry O'Connor, reports The Scotsman.

The pair had a successful spell at Easter Road together before O'Connor left in 2006 and Sproule followed in 2007.

Sproule's return after four years with Bristol City came as a surprise, but O'Connor's signing after spells with Lokomotiv Moscow and Birmingham City was a far bigger shock.

Northern Ireland international Sproule said his Hibs history was too great to turn down when manager Colin Calderwood approached him.

The 30-year-old said: "I want to enjoy my football again, to have that spring in my step and I knew the only way to do that was to come back here.

"I'd thoroughly enjoyed my time at Bristol City, I have good memories but when I left here there was something missing and I always knew I would love to come back one day although I never knew if it would quite happen.

"There was a change of manager at Bristol early last season when Steve Coppell left and I just didn't seem to feature in the plans. I didn't want to be toing and froing, going here and there on loan and coming back to play bit parts.

"To be honest, there were moves for me to stay in England, there is a lot of money down there as you know but I was keen for that phone call from Hibs to come.

"When it did I came up, spoke to the gaffer and I knew straight away I wanted to come back because he has great ideas for the club. It will be easy for me to step back in because I am a supporter and I want to do well for the club."

The winger believes O'Connor had similar motives behind his return to the club.

He added: "As I walked in to the changing room for the start of pre-season training yesterday I bumped into big Gaz.

"It was as if we had never been away. He turned to me and just said 'I've come home'. I'm sure he'll have had offers from England and elsewhere but I think the reason he's come back is simply because he wants to play here.

"Like me he wants to pull on a Hibs shirt again and do well for the club he has supported."

 

Sproule back at Hibs eh.

Good Rangers man, even though he seemed to score a barrel load against us

 

I remember him getting a hat-trick at Ibrox as Hibs won 3-0

 

So do I

 

tehehe

 

i,m pretty happy with this.