Irish kid Elding making big splash at Hibees after Rovers switch

WITH less than 400 other people living in the sleepy Irish village of Riverstown, Owen Elding was never going to have to look far for inspiration growing up.

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Owen Elding scores on his full debut for Hibernian and below, celebrates at the end

Just round the corner was an older kid named Johnny Kenny who was starting to make a big noise in local footballing circles.

Such a racket that he was soon handed his big chance in the professional game by Sligo Rovers just down the road.

And after making a splash at The Showgrounds, he was off across the Irish Sea to Glasgow to Celtic at the age of 19.

Four years later the parallels in young Elding's path out of Rivertsown are impossible to ignore. A breakthrough year as a goalscoring teenage phenomenon at Sligo rewarded with a move to Scotland a few months before turning 20.

It's Hibs not Celtic that have taken a gamble on the young Irishman though.

And after marking his full debut with a wonderful opener as David Gray's side dumped St Mirren on Saturday, Elding is now intent on hitting fast forward on his own journey to the top.