Joe Newell has confirmed what many suspected, but his response makes the reality impossible to ignore.
Joe Newell has brought a sensitive issue into the open ahead of Celtic’s trip to Easter Road after revealing what some Hibs fans have been saying.
The midfielder did not avoid the question. He acknowledged it clearly, which is rare from a player in this position.
But what Newell admits should serve as a warning to Celtic that this will be a difficult test and they will need to be at their best.
There has been noise around Celtic’s visit to Hibs and what their supporters want from this weekend, but Joe Newell has now addressed it directly.
Which result suits Celtic best when Hearts play Rangers?
Joe Newell addresses rumours Hibs will lie down to Celtic
Newell admitted fans had told Hibs to lose, addressing the issue directly when asked.
Asked if he’d spoken to fans telling him to lose to Celtic, the Hibs star said, “Yeah. I get it. I completely get it. But we control what we can control.
“We’ve got a huge few games to play in terms of what we’re playing for. We need European football. We want to finish as high as possible.
“We’re a group of professional athletes, we fight with each other over five-a-side games in training. So, if you think we’re going to lie down in front of thousands of people, in front of the Sky cameras, you’re wrong.
“We’ll be doing our utmost to win the game of football, it’s as simple as that. There’s a competitive edge all the time in training. You’re professional athletes, we get paid a lot of money to do this.
“So we’re doing a disservice to everyone if you roll over for what some fans want. And like I say, it’s in your nature. You’ve done this since you were six, seven years old.
“You’ve been at school, playgrounds, training grounds, everywhere. So yeah, it’ll be very hard to do. We’ll see what Sunday brings.
“Like I say, I completely get it. Obviously, the fact that we’re having the conversation shows that there’s obviously feelings like that. But like I said, you can only control what you can control.”
That is not a deflection. It is a clear line being drawn and a message to Celtic that Sunday is going to be tough at Easter Road.
European stakes make Hibs dangerous for Celtic
The wider context of the comments makes Sunday’s clash a potential banana skin. Newell makes it clear Hibs need European football and are pushing to finish as high as possible.
He leaves no space for the idea that players would approach a match with anything other than intent to win.
Newell also states it would mean doing a disservice to everyone at Hibs if they did anything else. That applies across the squad and the club.
There is no ambiguity. The conversation may exist around Hibs fans not wanting Hearts to win the league, but for their players, that doesn’t matter.
Hibs will approach the Celtic game with one thing on their minds. To win it. Because that is what professional football demands.
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