Marink Reedijk described Jamie McGrath as 'outstanding' after the former Aberdeen favourite returned to Pittodrie and helped Hibernian to a commanding 4-0 Scottish Premiership victory against his previous club.
The Irishman opened the scoring with a stunning strike, providing the breakthrough after Hibs had passed up several promising chances during the first half.
His contribution drew warm praise from Reedijk, who believes the experienced midfielder has become increasingly important both to the team and the wider squad.
“For me, he was again outstanding,” the Hibs manager said. “Over the last few weeks, he’s been really outstanding.
"He’s important for our team, important for the group, experienced, but also a fantastic football player who fits really well with the way we want to play.”
That final point was central to Reedijk’s assessment of Hibs’ recent improvement. The Dutchman does not believe the greater freedom visible in his players is merely the result of a psychological release following the previous weekend’s victory.
Instead, he feels understanding is growing within the team as the players become more familiar with their responsibilities and with one another.
“I think it’s a matter of us knowing more and more, and better and better, what to do, and the links between the players also becoming clearer,” Reedijk said.
“In football, you can dictate 80 per cent, but there’s always 20 per cent which is practice. The more you play together, the clearer the rules become, and the more you feel free.”
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Reedijk illustrated the point with a line attributed to Picasso: “Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist.” He believes Hibs are now beginning to display that balance between structure and expression.
The manager remained unwilling to become preoccupied with what the result meant for the league table. His focus, he said, would stay on the next opponent and the areas Hibs can control, rather than events elsewhere.
There was also a note of dissatisfaction despite the scale of the scoreline. Reedijk felt Hibs should have scored during the first half and was critical of brief spells in which Aberdeen were given a glimpse of hope.
Yet McGrath’s breakthrough set Hibs on their way to a second successive victory, and his manager’s verdict suggested that the midfielder’s value extends well beyond one goal alone on a memorable return to Pittodrie.
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