Not quite McGinn but Mulligan making name at Hibs

To be compared to one of Hibernian's best players of this century shows just how strong a start Josh Mulligan has made to life at Easter Road.

The midfielder only joined in the summer from Dundee, having also been linked with Rangers, and has instantly made an impact on David Gray's side.

So much so that some have talked about him in the same breath as Scotland and Aston Villa talisman John McGinn, who won the Scottish Cup during his formative years at Hibs.

Those comparisions are, obviously, fanciful at this stage - something the Mulligan himself has acknowledged - but the 22-year-old late goal against Legia Warsaw at Easter Road has given his new fans an unlikely injection of hope for the second leg.

Mulligan was a clear man of the match in the 2-1 defeat against the Poles on Thursday and it's not unfeasible that he he could join McGinn and team-mate Kieron Bowie in Steve Clarke's next Scotland squad, set to be announced on Monday.

'Eye-catching' was how Gray described Mulligan when he arrived in the summer, and the 22-year-old has only continued to win over the fans with his performances.

He tops the charts when it comes to successful dribbles, and ranks highly for touches in the opposition box and duels won.

What that boils down to is a box-to-box midfielder who not only gets stuck in, but drives forward and gets Hibs into the right areas of the pitch.

"Looks like a brilliant signing," said Hibs' fan David when BBC Sport Scotland asked for opinions on Mulligan's arrival. "A very versatile player who can play in multiple positions, so it will be very interesting to see how he settles in."

"Brilliant signing," added Alex. "Good young Scottish talent with good experience at a young age. He will thrive at Hibs."

Thrive is the word. Although he was rested from the starting XI against Livingston at the weekend, he came on in the 82nd minute to score the second goal - an absolute screamer from outside the box that rattled in off a post.

Having been moved between midfield and right wing-back during his time at Dundee, it's unsurprising that goals never featured heavily in his previous stats.

But he seems to have added that dimension to his game, having been allowed by Gray to roam forward in attack, which continues to excel in his nascent days at Easter Road.

Reaction to Hibs' defeat on the Scottish Football Podcast

21/08/25

His late goal against Legia - a back-post rebound after his initial shot had been blocked at close range - has given Hibs a chance in Poland next Thursday.

As head coach Gray was quick to point out, they've already produced fine performances away to Midtjylland in Denmark and Partizan in Serbia.

But Mulligan was quick to admit that he was just relieved to score, having passed up a sitter early on in the game against the Polish side, who reached the last eight of this competition last term.

"I missed one in the first couple of minutes and, to be honest, I was thinking about it the whole game," Mulligan told BBC Scotland.

"We stayed in the game and that goal there could prove to be vital so I'm looking forward to the next leg. It's still half time in the tie.

"They were a decent side and it's going to take a really good performance. The boys will have to give everything."