Hibs boss on Hearts triumph and reaction to Hampden atmosphere

After watching his side come from behind to win 2-1 in Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final, the Hibs manager returned home, had dinner with his girlfriend and watched a film.

By then, his thoughts were already beginning to turn towards Aberdeen.

For Reedijk, the proper celebration had taken place at Hampden. It arrived when Sunshine on Leith rang around the national stadium and players and supporters were able to savour a significant Edinburgh derby victory together.

“I just went home, came home, my girlfriend was there and we had some dinner together and we watched a movie and that's it,” he told the Evening News.

"I was enjoying it when Sunshine on Leith came on because that's the moment. And then after that for me, the next game is already in my mind.”

There was plenty for Hibs to enjoy. Reedijk’s team recovered from falling behind to secure their place in the final, and he believes the manner of the victory carried an added significance for a side which has endured difficult moments.

“One of the things I heard is that it’s been a long time since a Hibs team came back from 1-0 down [to win],” he said. “Those little things are really important to take into account because that is in the group, it's also with the fans.

“The first time we beat Hearts at Hampden, it's also a thing and everybody can be proud of that, and I think that's also what you saw after.”

The impact was felt considerably further afield than Edinburgh. Reedijk received messages from the Netherlands from people struck by the atmosphere and intensity of the occasion, something he feels underlined the significance of the derby.

“Even in Holland they saw this because I got a lot of messages from people that were like: ‘Wow, so cool, what happened there, that was amazing.’ They were all asking me how it was.

“And normally we don’t see this kind of thing from Scottish football in Holland. So that tells you a lot about the intensity, the emotion brought to the full, and it was just simply amazing.”

Reedijk was happy for his players to enjoy their achievement after a demanding period in which performances had not always brought the rewards Hibs felt they merited.

“We had pride in what we did in a difficult match,” he said. “That is why they deserved to celebrate.

“If you work hard, you also can celebrate if you reach something, and reaching a final is a special thing. Now, you didn't win anything yet, so we need to make sure that we also take that into account.”

The Hibs manager was particularly encouraged by the way elements he had worked on with his players emerged against Hearts, from their first-half football to the resilience required to see out a fiercely contested semi-final.

“They kept on fighting, kept on going,” Reedijk said. “Especially if you see that everything and what we spoke about comes back into the game against Hearts, where it's about good football in the first half and then get another level of taking the game over the line.

“I think that was really good to see, so you can also celebrate this.”

His players were given Monday off, a chance to recover physically and emotionally from Hampden. When they reported back on Tuesday, however, the message was clear.

“But then the moment they came back on Tuesday is the moment to focus again on Aberdeen,” Reedijk said.

“Because at the end of the day you have to celebrate your wins, but also you need them to be able to focus to the next game.”