I didn't think there was a chance we'd get to sign a guy as good as Emiliano

Hibs boss Monty battles through Dubai traffic to lure free-kick expert to Leith

- FRASER WILSON

NICK MONTGOMERY thought a player of Emiliano Marcondes' quality would have been out of Hibs' reach.

Yet, as fortune would have it, the Bournemouth playmaker was right under his nose in Dubai this month as the Hibees went through a winter training camp.

Montgomery has revealed how he struck it lucky in the City of Gold after being put in touch with the former Denmark Under-21 international as he topped up his fitness levels with a clutch of Premier League stars including Jesse Lingaard in the UAE earlier this month.

That chance meeting led to a chat over a cup of coffee and, after some due diligence on all things Leith, the 28-year-old was convinced to swap the bright lights of the Premier League for a crack at the Premiership.

Montgomery landed Marcondes don a loan deal until the end of the season on Monday and was keen to stress it is entirely unconnected to Cherries' owner Bill Foley's impending investment in the Easter Road club.

Set-piece specialist Marcondes a Danish champion at Nordsjaelland in 2020 and a goalscoring Championship play-off winner with Brentford a year later follows Hertha Berlin forward Myziane Maolida in arriving in Leith on loan in the last week.

And both are in line for quick-fire debuts against Rangers this evening.