Fletcher not fazed by Real appeal

HIBS skipper Rob Jones believes team-mate Steven Fletcher is too level-headed to allow his ego to be overly swollen by speculation linking him with a glamour move to Spanish superstars Real Madrid.

Madrid and their bitter rivals Barcelona have both been credited with an interest in the 21-year-old, whose growing reputation increased further when he made his full Scotland debut against Croatia back in March.

The youngster last year signed a new contract at Easter Road, tying him to the club until 2013, with the then Hibs manager John Collins predicting his eventual value could eclipse the £4.5 million raised by Scott Brown's departure for Celtic.

It might seem easy for such flattery to affect someone of Fletcher's tender years, but Jones reckons the down-to-earth marksman will be able to shrug aside the off-field transfer talk and keep improving his on-field game.

Jones, who has himself been subject to speculation in the past, commented: "He's a bit like me and he just lets it go straight over his head.

"The boy's got an awful lot of talent, we've all seen that in the last season, and he's got a lot more to come – people forget he's only 21 years old. He's got an awful long way to go in a flourishing career.

"To be linked with Real Madrid is a massive compliment to him and it's a massive compliment to the football club, because he came through the youth ranks there, and it shows that along the line the club is doing something right.

"I'm sure as Steven goes through his career he will be ravished with speculation, so he has become accustomed to it already. I'm sure it won't bother him.

"Things are moving in the right direction for him and I'm very pleased for him.

"He's a top lad, he's great to have around the dressing room. He's just a fun boy and there's an awful lot more to come from him, whether it's here or somewhere else, who knows.

"But he's got a very level head on his shoulders. I think he knows deep down how good he is but he won't transfer that across to other people, he's another one who just keeps working hard and tries to get better and better."

Jones is already approaching the end of a short close-season break which will only just have reached four weeks by the time the Hibs squad reassemble on Monday week.

The early return has been forced upon the players by their participation in the Intertoto Cup, beginning with the first-leg of their second-round tie at Easter Road on 6 July.

And, after failing to catch Motherwell in the race for third spot and qualification for the Uefa Cup, Jones has now set his sights on entering Europe's second-tier competition via the backdoor route afforded by the Intertoto Cup.

The 11 teams who win their third-round matches will progress to the final qualifying round of the Uefa Cup and Jones is naturally hoping that Hibs will be one of them.

He added: "It's another way of getting into Europe. We missed out on the automatic spot, which was disappointing to us all.

"But life goes on, the season's finished, we are where we are and we've got what we've got, and we've got to get on with it.

"We're going back early but we were back early the first season I was here with Tony Mowbray because we were also in the Intertoto.

"I'm sure once the boys are back into it, we'll be looking forward to the first round of the Intertoto."